The Skinny January 2018 by The Skinny

.CO.UK

INDEPENDENT FREE

CULT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

January 2018 Scotland Issue 148

Plate Expectations Dive into 2018 with The Skinny Food & Drink Survey

P.19 Dream Wife

P.32 Ben Soedira

P.29 Last Flag Flying

January 2018 I N DEPEN DENT

CULTU R AL

JOU R NALI S M

Issue 148, January 2018 ÂŠ Radge Media Ltd. Get in touch: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, 1.9 1st Floor Tower, Techcube, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall Pl, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business. Get in touch to find out more.

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Contents

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Events Editor Film & DVD Editor Food Editor Intersections Editor Music Editor Theatre Editor Travel Editor

Rosamund West Adam Benmakhlouf Heather McDaid Claire Francis Ben Venables Nadia Younes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Kate Pasola Tallah Brash Amy Taylor Paul Mitchell

Production Production Manager Designer

Sarah Donley Kyle McPartlin

Sales Sales Manager Sales Executives

Sandy Park George Sully Keith Allan David Hammond

Online Digital Editor Online Journalist Web Developer

Peter Simpson Jamie Dunn Stuart Spencer

Bookkeeping & Accounts Publisher

Rebecca Sweeney Sophie Kyle

THE SKINNY

Photo: Allan Lewis

Photo: Harrison Reid

P.10 Food & Drink Survey 2018

Contents Chat & Opinion: New year, new you with 06 our guest fitness guru; Fringe Dog (our resident grrrrrrrrrrru, amiright?) offers some advice on how to keep those resolutions; plus Spot the Difference, Online Only and Shot of the Month. Heads Up: Your first cultural calendar of 08 2018. It’s a quiet month, so the fact this is filled is semi miraculous.

FEATURES

10 Food & Drink Survey 2018: We asked,

you voted in your hundreds. Scotland’s most democratic survey of eating and drinking venues and trends is back for another year with the news that veganism is in, burger joints are out and everyone still really likes pizza. We’ve also got some really specific information on where to get the best Bloody Mary or taco in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

18 Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus on rebranding as a duo, and exploring her relationship with whiteness for worryingly-titled fourth album I can feel you creep into my private life.

19 As they release their debut album Dream Wife discuss art school, collaboration and shoplifting hairbands.

21 The Spook School talk self-care and

safer spaces ahead of the release of their new album Could it be Different?

22 Tommy Grace of Django Django discusses taking back control of the recording studio and standing apart from the zeitgeist as he introduces their third album Marble Skies.

25 The Go! Team saved us from boring lad

bands in 2004 and they’re back to dazzle with fifth album Semicircle. We meet gang leader Ian Parton to talk maximalist pop and find out the minimum number of horn players required for a tour.

26 As mega hit musical Miss Saigon prepares

to arrive in Edinburgh, one writer journeys to Dublin to meet the cast.

29 The mercurial Richard Linklater

introduces low-key road movie Last Flag Flying.

A new adaptation of Marguerite Duras’ 31 The Lover arrives in Edinburgh this month – directors Jemima Levick and Fleur Darkin share its journey to the stage.

30 Writer-Director Mike White discusses his new film Brad's Status. We chat about his eclectic career, working in the Hollywood sausage factory and the aspects of directing he likes least. 32 Showcase: Photographer Ben Soedira explores the idea of home as he documents life in Dubai.

January 2018

A semi-exhaustive guide to the 34 Visual Art Highlights you can look forward to in 2018.

LIFESTYLE

36 Intersections: Why a New Year’s

resolution to come out is easier said than done; plus a look at why even your favourite retro TV show may be perpetuating dangerous stereotypes.

38 Travel: Thinking about running away

from this weird island that keeps making terrible self-sabotaging decisions? Here’s a guide to starting a new life in Warsaw! Plus one writer explores the world through music.

REVIEW

41 Music: Scottish music scene stalwarts

The Xcerts share their influences, plus interviews with Francis Macdonald and BooHooHoo (and a rundown of our live and release highlights for the month ahead, natch).

46 Clubs: We’ve got a discussion on breaking into DJing as a woman from Sofay, words with Al Kent and clubbing highlights for January.

50 Books: As we enter Muriel Spark’s

centenary year, a host of Scottish writers explain why she’s a) a huge influence and b) our greatest writer. Plus reviews including The Book of Joan, Goblin and Danez Smith’s Don’t Call Us Dead.

52 Film & DVD: January’s cinematic releases include Coco, Lover for a Day and The Post, plus (on 54) some surprisingly Nazi-heavy DVD recommendations for you to enjoy at home as you hide from the cold and dark without even the twinkle of a Christmas tree to light the long, long nights.

53 Art & Theatre: We have some thoughts

on Kate V Robertson’s DCA show and the celebration of 10 years of the Common Guild in the Hunterian. Theatre picks out some highlights from a traditionally quiet month (don’t worry, there’s still loads on including a panto which will apparently keep going until the end of time).

55 Comedy: In his second article for the

issue, canine correspondent Fringe Dog interrogates John Kearns on important matters such as what type of dog he thinks would drive a train.

56 Competitions: You could win… a year of meals at Trenchtown, dinner for four at Paesano, and much more besides.

57 Listings: What’s on this month in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.

63 In the second part of our Local Heroes

guide to contemporary Scottish jewellery, we look at the work of six more makers of beautiful things.

Contents

Editorial

appy New Year! Here’s hoping this one looks less like a textbook guide to the Rise of Fascism across multiple continents, eh? After several months of screaming at you about the need to Make Your Voice Heard (telling you your forebears would have fought for their right to vote about food had they not had more pressing human rights to worry about etc, etc), January sees us unveil the results of the Food and Drink Survey 2018. It offers a snapshot of the places you’ve been enjoying eating and drinking in the last 12 months, as well as a chance to make some wild speculations about the future of food. Veganism = in, piles of minced red meat = out for the year ahead as everyone wakes up to the power of the individual to contribute to positive change in this unstable world. We also find out the best places to eat a taco or drink a Bloody Mary. The Skinny Food & Drink, blithely mixing social commentary with rank flippancy since 2011. In Music, Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus introduces the now-duo’s confessionally-titled fourth album I can feel you creep into my private life. Dream Wife discuss forming at art school and creative collaboration afterwards (also shoplifting at Matalan); The Spook School are releasing third album Could it Be Different?, and they talk to us about self-care, safe spaces and shifting record labels as they move to Alcopop! following the demise of Fotuna Pop! Django Django are also on their third album, Marble Skies – synth man Tommy Grace shares some thoughts on the recording process this time around, offering an insight into the vague workaholism of the Edinburghderived band. The Go! Team’s Ian Parton talks maximalist touring as they release fifth album Semicircle, while in the Review section we take a look at The Xcerts’ influences, meet BooHooHoo and talk to Francis Macdonald about performing in the Space Formerly Known as the Echoiest in the World (™).

Theatre takes an unexpected January trip to South East Asia as two productions set in Vietnam arrive on the Edinburgh stage. One writer flew over to Dublin for an advance look at mega-musicalproduction Miss Saigon before it rolls into town, while we meet the co-directors of a new production of The Lover, based on Marguerite Duras’ memoir of teenage love in colonial French Indochina. Film talks to Richard Linklater about new buddy movie Last Flag Flying, which aims to capture the atmosphere in the US post-9/11. We also meet writerdirector Mike White, whose new film Brad’s Status examines comparative perceptions of success and failure among the American wealthy. Art has phoned as many Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee galleries as possible to get an idea of what their programmes look like for the year ahead. There’s loads happening, and this probably only scratches the surface as Glasgow prepares for another installment of the biennial Glasgow International festival of visual art. In the Showcase, we take a look at photographer Ben Soedira’s pristine images of his childhood home of Dubai, which explore the nature of belonging and the very materials of this artificially constructed desert city. In Books we welcome new section editor Heather McDaid, who kicks off her tenure with a fascinating examination of the work of Muriel Spark (whose centenary is this year), as seen through the eyes of a multitude of Scottish writers who have felt her influence. Comedy has a new year’s treat in the form of not one but two Fringe Dog articles, one helping you keep your New Year’s resolutions and the other interviewing comedian John Kearns about various topics which are of interest to a dog. Finally, we close the magazine with the latest installment of the Local Heroes series, continuing our mapping of the Scottish design scene with a second look at the huge diversity of creative jewellers currently working within this nation’s borders. [Rosamund West]

Guess Who?

IN HOLY TOMAT-RIMONY 2018 should be a fantastic year for our regal overlords, with a lavish royal wedding lined up for May. The big day is on a Saturday, so we probably won’t even get a long weekend; that’s your Brexit Britain for you. Anyway, to show that we’re not bitter or dismissive of the whole thing (and in celebration of our Food issue), we’ve dedicated this month’s competition to a completely accurate photograph

of a certain royal duo. As you can see, the snap features all the hallmarks of the couple – the exquisite tailoring, the fantastic handbags, their human heads with eyes and mouths. For your chance to win a copy of The Complete Short Stories of Muriel Spark, courtesy of the top guys over at Canongate, simply head to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and tell us one thing – who is this? Best answer wins.

Competition closes midnight Sun 28 Jan 2018. The winner will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our full Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms

Shot of the Month Mogwai, The SSE Hydro, 16 Dec, by Brendan Waters

By Jock Mooney 6

Chat

THE SKINNY

Five Tips from a Wellness Guru for a fit New You Wellness guru and comedian Eleanor Morton offers some unique advice for a year of clean living and fitness 1. Get kitted out Make sure you buy the most expensive and unnecessary gym gear you can – patterned designer leggings, boutique sports bras and £20 glass water bottles. Once you’ve bought all that, you will have no money left for evil, evil food. 2. Eat Clean If you absolutely must eat food, you should think about cutting down on toxins. Toxins are classified as any food with high amounts of chemicals, and processed, or anything that is enjoyable, fun, delicious or might remind you that you have tastebuds. Most fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of fructose. In fact, only artichokes are 100% fructose free, so I suggest following my diet of one artichoke for every meal, followed by one cup of hot water. Your salty tears will make excellent flavouring. 3. Exercise well If you are health-conscious it is likely that you already jog, practise yoga and attend a spin class. My advice is to stop. This is not effective exercise. In order to exercise properly, you need to be in constant exhaustion and discomfort. Stick a couple of weights down your trousers so every

step is a painful reminder of your hugeness. Soon, you can hang a dumbbell round your neck like a weird, shame-inducing pendant. If you don’t feel terrible, you’re doing it wrong. 4. Clean yourself inside out This is something I do every day, based on the advice of Guru Gwyneth Paltrow. While making a green tea, I’ll place the freshly steaming kettle underneath my groin, allowing the steam to flush out all my vaginal toxins, such as my uterus lining and a few of my internal organs. The burning pain will help remind you that you are impure and deserve to suffer. 5. More protein and fat, less sugar Ideally you should be eating more protein than anything else. While conventional meats and animal products do contain protein, it is not enough to make a difference to your disgusting body. Instead, try protein rich fat friends. Your chunkier friends will even thank you for ending their miserable lives. Get lean, toned and ready for a year of going to the cinema alone because you ate your friends. Follow @EleanorMorton on Twitter.

Online Only Films to Watch in 2018 The features to look out for this year As another year begins, we look into the celluloid crystal ball to preview the year’s hottest films, from Wes Anderson’s new stop-motion animation Isle of Dogs to Lynne Ramsay’s new thriller You Were Never Really Here via Luca Guadagnino’s remake of giallo classic Suspiria.

Froget willpower, try dog power Virtual Ginsanity: The Skinny Gin Guide We try a host of Scottish gins to let you know which is best – you’re welcome There’s been an explosion of craft gin in recent years (not literally, but you know what we mean). We collected some of the best together for a showdown, ranking them on the three key elements we all think about when going for a gin – what does the bottle look like; what does it smell like; and which locations and concepts does it remind you of. Find out more at theskinny.co.uk/food

Get the full list over at theskinny.co.uk/film

John Byrne Award Meet the winners of the emerging artists’ awards Open to 16-25 year olds in Scotland working across the arts, The John Byrne Award invites artists to submit their work along with a 200-word description of the values behind it. We’ve teamed up with the John Byrne Award to help you find out more about the winning artists – this month we profile photographer Katie Blair Matthews.

Guest Selector: Kevin McKay Soundtrack your January with a hand-picked selection of producers and DJs As we welcome in the New Year, Glasgow Underground Recordings label founder Kevin McKay picks ten talented DJs and producers to watch out for in 2018.

Find out more at theskinny.co.uk/art

Listen to the playlist at theskinny.co.uk/clubs

Find more at theskinny.co.uk COVER ARTIST

riginally from Hong Kong, 21-year-old illustrator Terri Po is in her final year at Edinburgh College of Art. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, cooking and withdrawing from human society. You can find more of her work at terripo.tumblr. com or in Instagram @iiterripo

January 2018

How to Keep Your Resolutions by a Disciplined Dog C

reate culture of positve reinforcment it said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks . o boy , well we all gettin older !!! i sometime worry : ‘will all my facilities stay intact ??’ the old sayin is a bit harsh on old dogs . when you teach puppy new trick it matter not how long it takes . you give pup praise , you say ‘good dog’ & ‘here is biscuit’ . but , when you teach old dog new trick , and it take a bit of time , you grow impatient . then the digestve tin go back in the cupboard , you tut , and you say , ‘i think uncle piper’s mind is going’ . in same way , it easy to give yourself hard time – not to mention poor uncle piper !! if you want to keep resolution , to train new behavor , you need culture of positve reinforcement . let us look at very common resolution : losin weight . to stick to diet it important you associate effort with reward . so evry time you manage food portion succesfuly , give yourself big treat !! now , you could use sound of clicker or whistle , but for weight managemnt i recomend a big bag of choco drops !!! choco help you stay precisly the shape you is , which for what it is worth , i think is very perfect . 5stars to you . play there is new app that makes joggin into game , it have amazin story on earphones about zombies chasing you !! o boy , it ingenius , like briliant immersive theatre . but maybe one snag ... zombies not real !! it not like in briliant game of fetch where stick is always real . if stick was makebelieve , dogs wood sit in park sayin ‘fetch what ??’ but, you say ‘c’mon fringe dog, zombie less borin than stick !!’ ok , you need to make joggin more excitin . then , follow me to kincraig wildlife park in highlands . you see them ?? don’t worry ,

Words: Fringe Dog Illustration: Sarah Kirk

now let us gently introduce ourselves to pack of wolf cubs . o boy !! they is so playful !!! uh oh ... look out !! protectve mother wolf is comin for us !! as precution, i think we better run !!! o boy , we not bored now !! always be best frend you have resolution to spend more time with family & friends . first question you have to ask yourself – why you lose touch in first place ?? was it realy you just too busy ?? do not despair , all frenship face dificulty from time to time . we sometime treat close frends the same way we treat sport referee . when they have good game they invisible to us , we take for granted , but when they make slight mistake we shout, ‘ you ignoramus , your blunder cost us title at crufts !! ‘ i apologies for bad manners while makin this point. persepctve and forgveness in relatonship is important , but one thing i can help you with right now is with listenin . listenin is something human find a challenge ... but have faith , it not your fault !!! you only have six muscle in each ear . yet it not always the braun of ear that problem . when a frend is talkin do you butt in , give advice and talk about yourself ?? o boy , i sorry to tell you this is exact oposite of listenin !! i hope it not arrogant to say , but when have you ever seen a person talk to dog and not feel better afterward ?? never , that’s when !! there is no dog conspiracy to secret and art of listenin . i share method with you : next time a frend need your ear follow this dog lead : 1) sit , 2) muzzle up 3) have a big old pant . i promise this method work for all but the most serious of human problem !! o boy , you is now 5star listener and can keep resolution to be better frend . love from fringe dog

Opinion

Put the madness of 2017 behind you and start 2018 as you mean to go on by basking in some cultural delights...

The third annual Scotland-wide festival Fokus: Films from Germany travelled all the way up to Shetland at the end of last year, with a selection of films handpicked by the Goethe-Institut Glasgow and Filmhouse Edinburgh. Tonight, the festival makes a shorter trip to Dundee, where Swiss-born filmmaker Michael Koch's debut feature length, Marija screens at DCA. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, 6pm, £5

This month is your last chance to catch John Akomfrah’s exhibition Vertigo Sea, on show until 27 January. Vertigo Sea (2015) is shown alongside a video and sound installation, At the Graveside of Tarkovsky (2012). The former, a three-screen installation, is a crisp collage of the human and the marine, and the former’s cruel exploitation of the latter. Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, until 27 Jan, free

Marija

Vertigo Sea, install view

Mon 8 Jan

Tue 9 Jan

Wed 10 Jan

Coinciding with their 40th anniversary, Stills presents a solo exhibition, Robin Gillanders (a retrospective), displaying newly commissioned work by the Edinburgh-based photographic artist, alongside selected portraits made over the last 40 years. The exhibition will include, on public display for the first time, a series made at Little Sparta in collaboration with the artist Ian Hamilton Finlay. Stills, Edinburgh, until 14 Jan, free

Glasgow-based artist Helen de Main's latest exhibition You Know, Things Like That documents a year's worth of engagement with women at a monthly consciousness-raising group, taking the form of a local knitters' group in Easterhouse. Through looking at these women’s lives, marked by commonalities and difference, remarkable events and mundane ones, the exhibition celebrates the strength, resilience and beauty that exists within everyday experience. Platform, Glasgow, until 11 Feb, free

Rachel McBrinn and Ben Callaghan showed their collaborative moving image work, Last edit made seconds ago, at Edinburgh's Custom Lane in September and now they're giving Glasgow a glimpse too. The work interrogates the ways in which we interact with digital workspaces and content production technologies, seeking to critique the functionality and design of their user interface. It sounds complicated, but it looks great so give tech a chance. The Lighthouse, Glasgow, until 5 Feb, free

bare stream racing like a Bugatti, 1995, Robin Gillanders

Helen de Main

Last edit made seconds ago

Sun 14 Jan

Mon 15 Jan

Adrenaline junkies assemble because the Banff Mountain Film Festival returns with more shows and more venues than ever before. They kick things off today in Edinburgh, with the programme split into two screenings – the Blue programme and the Red programme. Be sure to catch Stumped tonight in which Maureen Beck, who was born missing her lower left arm, completes a month-long quest to do a 5.12 climb in Boulder Canyon. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £15.50

The second in a six-part series of exhibitions entitled NOW features a five-room presentation of Susan Philipsz' 2016 work Seven Tears. Also on show will be a series of photographs by Yto Barrada, largescale paintings by Michael Armitage, Hiwa K's The Bell Project 2007-2015, a new body of work by Sarah Rose and an installation by Kate Davis. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One), Edinburgh, until 18 Feb, free

Lizzy Watts takes on the role of complex heroine Hedda Gabler in the National Theatre's acclaimed new production of Henrik Ibsen's play. Following a sold out run down in London, the production – adapted by Olivier Awardwinning playwright Patrick Marber and directed by Olivier and Tony Award-winner Ivo van Hove – is heading out on the road, stopping in Glasgow from 15-20 January. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £10-37.90

Maureen Beck

Photo: Cedar Wright

Sat 13 Jan

Susan Philipsz, Seven Tears, 2016

Sat 20 Jan

What's the only thing that can brighten up a wintery, January evening? Banjos, that's what – and potentially a mug of hot chocolate by an open fire but beggars can't be choosers. This is the Kit made their Rough Trade debut with Moonshine Freeze in July and they'll be playing songs from it in Glasgow tonight as part of Celtic Connections. O2 ABC, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £16

Paramore have led a turbulent existence, full of fall-outs, band member departures and law suits but they returned in 2017, with original drummer Zac Farro back in tow, and released one of the best pop albums of the year, After Laughter. The band return to Glasgow tonight for what's sure to be one of the funnest gigs you'll ever go to. SSE Hydro, Glasgow, 6.30pm, £42.50

This is the Kit

Photo: Florian Duboé

Fri 19 Jan

Paramore

Thu 25 Jan

Fri 26 Jan

On top of getting to eat haggis and drink whisky – as if you need an excuse – a new contemporary multi-arts festival, Burns Unbroke is going to make Burns Day even better this year. As well as poetry, music and whisky masterclasses, over 30 visual artists will display work in 11 galleries at Summerhall, exploring an aspect of Burns’ life or work. Summerhall, Edinburgh, until 10 Mar

Continuing the inevitable Burns-themed weekend, Red Red Rose Street Festival will take place from 25-27 January celebrating all things Burns. The Burns Comedy Club features three nights of performances from top Scottish comedians at Gilded Balloon's new West End venue. Rosco McClelland, Harriet Dyer and Alfie Brown will all present their take on Burns at the intimate venue tonight. Basement Theatre, Edinburgh, 9.30pm, £12.50

Chat

Burns Unbroke

Photo: Calum Colvin

Wed 24 Jan Richard Baron directs Rona Munro's Bold Girls, running until 10 February at Citizens Theatre. Set in war-torn Belfast in the early 1990s, four women have their lives turned upside down by the Troubles but attempt to carry on with everyday life. A riotous night out leads to the spilling of some very sobering truths in the early hours in this story of love, friendship and betrayal. Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £10-23, until 10 Feb.

Bold Girls

Hedda Gabler

Harriet Dyer

THE SKINNY

Photo: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Compiled by: Nadia Younes

Thu 4 Jan

Photo: Lindsey Byrnes

Heads Up

Wed 3 Jan

Sat 6 Jan

Sun 7 Jan

Always wanted an insight into Glasgow's underworld? Well, today's your lucky day, as that's what R Paul Wilson's debut feature, Con Men is all about. The gritty noir thriller reveals the dark side of professional hustlers, gangsters and crooks in Glasgow's infamous underworld, featuring jewellery scams, underground card games and a bloodstained basement leading to a killer climax. CCA, Glasgow, 7:30pm, £5

Get on your dancing shoes because Dance House Glasgow's Winter Fest 2018 kicks off today. This year's programme includes participatory dance classes and dance-along screenings, as well as creative labs and professional residencies from two professional artists being supported during the festival. Adam Sloan hosts a Creative Lab Sharing today, exploring the theme of a group of people going on a journey together for the first time. CCA, Glasgow, 5pm, free

Matchbox Cineclub pay tribute to “international treasure” and “batshit crazyman” Nicolas Cage in a weekend-long film festival Cage-A-Rama. Day one explores the more batshit end of the actor's filmography, dubbed the day of Cage the Fighter; while today we see Cage's gentler side, with Cage the Lover, including screenings of Valley Girl, Moonstruck and one of the Coen brothers’ funniest movies Raising Arizona. CCA, Glasgow, times vary, 12pm, £4-18

Con Men

Winter Fest 2018

Thu 11 Jan

Fri 12 Jan

Blueprint continue to support independent Scottish cinema at Blueprint 08 today. The eight short films on show will include a mix of debuts from first-time filmmakers, as well as new films by local heroes. We recommend Nadira Murray and Pavel Shepan's Locked In, a 15-minute short focusing on Samira and Nazim, a married couple arrested and fast-tracked for expulsion from the UK. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, 8pm, £5.50

King Tut's New Year's Revolution returns for its eighth consecutive year, bringing a selection of emerging local talent in to play at the legendary Tut's between 4-20 January. Tonight, electro-pop threepiece BooHooHoo headline, with support from The Little Kicks, Noah Noah and Oh Jay. EmuBands will provide tunes for the night in between bands, while afters will be sorted by Paisley artpop four-piece The Vegan Leather. King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, 8.30pm, £8

Locked In

BooHooHoo

Tue 16 Jan

Wed 17 Jan

Thu 18 Jan

During the Fringe, Ahir Shah's show Control enjoyed a packed-out run and rave reviews. Nominated for Best Show, we describe it as “an engrossing hour from one of the best young political comedians out there today.” If you missed it then, head to The Stand tonight, where he'll be performing it again and it promises to include discussion of freedom, fascism, history, hope, resistance, and milk. The Stand, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £10-12

Forget what you knew about a typical club night, because Sensi presents: Visionary Experiences flips that idea completely on its head. Sensi is a very different kind of club night, which fuses art, film and banging tunes. It attempts to break down the elitist barriers of art exhibitions and hopes to show that art, like music, can be enjoyed in a casual and fun environment. The Caves, Edinburgh, 9pm, £6-8.50

Dumfries has produced such world-renowned gems as Calvin Harris and David Coulthard, but now it's got an even better claim to fame. The world's biggest celebration of Robert Burns, Big Burns Supper returns for another year of music, comedy and cabaret. We particularly recommend Queer Haggis, a special one off performance from cabaret show Le Haggis, which has become the biggest LGBTQ event in Dumfries & Galloway. Spiegeltent Dumfries, Dumfries, 9pm, £24.50

Ahir Shah

Sensi presents: Visionary Experiences

Valley Girl

Queer Haggis

Mon 22 Jan

Tue 23 Jan

Start to End begin their two-night run at Òran Mór tonight, presenting live reworkings of Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark and John Martyn's Solid Air. Tonight, they take on the Joni Mitchell classic, featuring Rachel Lightbody on vocals and Tom Gibbs on piano/keyboards, alongside members of Admiral Fallow, Pronto Mama and Fat-Suit, before a new group of musicians take on John Martyn's seminal album tomorrow. Òran Mór, Glasgow, 7pm, £13.50

LA four-piece Sextile have all the makings of your favourite new punk band. Their latest album Albeit Living is less than half an hour long, with only three of its ten tracks exceeding three minutes, in true punk-rock style. Tonight, they play Edinburgh but they also make a stop in Glasgow a few days earlier at Broadcast on 21 January. Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 7pm, £7

Murder She Stroke – paint by numbers

Start to End

Photo: Cameron Brisbane

Sun 21 Jan Paradise Palms' resident art gang Primitive Painters continue their Sunday and Monday afternoon creative sessions, this time inviting you to join them in re-imagining the detective heroes of 80's TV at Murder She Stroke – paint by numbers. Try your hand at your best interpretation of Magnum PI, Columbo or Crockett & Tubbs; you never know, you might just have a bit of Picasso in you. Paradise Palms, Edinburgh, 2pm, £16

Sextile

For some, puppets are a lovely childhood memory, for others the stuff of nightmares. If you're of the former camp, then manipulate Visual Theatre Festival is for you. As part of their Snapshots: Artists@Work series, Sarah Bebe Holmes presents Egg today – an autobiographical tale about a young woman who gave her eggs, highlighting themes of choice, chance, science and mortality. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 6.30pm, free but ticketed

The New Year is the time for resolutions, which tend to involve losing weight, drinking less and just generally having less fun. To assist you in achieving your 'new year, new me' goals, Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival is here to help. Get your zen on with a programme of events including yoga classes and meditation sessions and talks and workshops on nutrition, mindfulness and emotional wellbeing. Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, times & prices vary

Gary Robertson's play The Berries gets a new outing, with extra dates added due to incredible demand. Set in the summer of 1974 in the berry fields of Kirriemuir, the play follows four 'nabblers' from the Fintry housing scheme during a typical day, as bouts of wild banter, topical and political debate ensue. Dundee Rep, Dundee, 7.30pm, £9-16, until 3 Feb

January 2018

Egg

Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival

Photo: Susan Bell

Mon 29 Jan

Photo: Helen Cathart

Sun 28 Jan

Photo: Richard Dyson

Sat 27 Jan

The Berries

Chat

Photo: John Graham

Fri 5 Jan

Food, Glorious Food

Words: Peter Simpson Illustration: Terri Po

Introducing the winners in our annual Food & Drink Survey

he new year, they say, is a chance to both reflect on the past and look forward to a bright future. Sounds ridiculous – how can you look back and forward at the same time? Are you switching from one to the other, or just slowly rotating like a pie in a microwave? – but in the case of your favourite annual food and drink round-up, it’s the truth. Over the next eight pages, you’ll find a comprehensive round-up of all your favourite food and drink spots from the past year, to help you get your 2018 munching off to a flyer. The headline news is that the vegans are here, and they’re taking over. Meat-free food has always been lurking on the periphery of Scotland’s dining scene, but in the past year or two there’s been an explosion of cool, trendy and mouthwatering veggie and vegan spots taking the place by storm. We take a look at your favourite veggie spots on p11 to find out just what’s going on.

Elsewhere, we delve into your favourite pubs (you seem to like a nice range of places) and your top cafes (you all seem to love taking photos of your coffee and cakes), as well as the country’s best food and drink shops, restaurants, and the best new places to throw open their doors in the past year. We’ve also introduced new categories looking at some of the best dishes popping up on Scotland’s menus, so if you want to know where the best tacos, Bloody Marys and breakfasts are, we’ve got you covered. Thanks to everyone who voted in this year’s survey – nothing makes our Christmases quite like trawling through thousands of votes to find out where to go for a good sandwich – and read on for a look at some of the best food and drink Scotland has to offer. No time like the present, eh? theskinny.co.uk/food

Dining Stars From experimental dining to incredible pizza, your favourite restaurants are an interesting mix

Harmonium

Trenchtown 4-8 Lochrin Buildings, Edinburgh

Aizle 107-109 St Leonard’s St, Edinburgh

Harmonium 60 Henderson St, Edinburgh

Ting Thai Caravan 8-9 Teviot Pl, Edinburgh

Trenchtown offers up a cuisine that has been hitherto underrepresented in Edinburgh’s food and drink scene. The menu takes an extensive ride through the hits of Caribbean cuisine, with an extensive range of jerk meats, small plates and Caribbean curries all packing a healthy spice punch. Throw in a bang-on-trend teal paint job and a cracking central location, and you’ve got a winner.

Let’s be real for a second. Do you really want a lot of choice when you go out? Or are you eating out because you took a look in the cupboard, tried to work out what to make with a carrot and a packet of Jaffa Cakes, then ran off to find a culinary adult? Aizle takes those worries away – there’s just one option, a menu expertly crafted by head chef Stuart Ralston and based on whatever ingredients are in season at the time. The result is a tasting menu packed with Wonka-esque invention and brilliant flavours, but without any of the dry ice or over-thetop service you might expect. Leave yourself in Aizle’s hands; you won’t regret it.

For years Edinburgh was crying out for an east coast equivalent of the likes of Mono, venues that serve tasty vegan food in a cool environment. Well, ask and you shall receive – Harmonium’s gone down a storm with its fun-packed take on meatfree dining. From vegan breakfast rolls to entirely meatless pizzas and cheesesteak sandwiches, Harmonium pulls together styles and influences from all over the place, engineers away all of the meat, and leaves a fantastic end result.

Still impressively cheap, still trendy AF and still home to some of the best food in the whole of the capital, grabbing a spot in the Ting Thai Caravan queue remains a key part of the plans of any selfrespecting Edinburgh foodie. Fantastic noodles, great bar snacks and sides, and if you’ve run through the whole menu their new Vietnamese joint Saboteur is also well worth checking out.

Alchemilla 1126 Argyle St, Glasgow Finnieston is wall-to-wall with interesting restaurants, but this Mediterranean offering headed up by former Ottolenghi chef Rosie Healey has jumped out in its first year-and-a-bit to become a firm favourite. Prepare to be challenged, but in a nice, pleasant way – if you’ve never tried kohlrabi before, now’s your chance. The menu is built around sharing plates loaded with interesting combinations and well-balanced selections, so expect the unexpected. Also, expect to get in a highly undignified scrap over the last piece of octopus.

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Mono 12 Kings Court, Glasgow One of the pioneers of vegan cool in Scotland since opening in the early 2000s, Mono continues to be an important hub for the Glasgow music scene and its many vegan members. Its menu is a great mix of classic comfort food, all with a meatless twist. Burgers, cheesecakes, fried things, spicy things – anyone who believes that they won’t have a ‘proper meal’ without a big slab of meat involved needs to be introduced to Mono post-haste.

Paesano 471 Great Western Rd & 94 Miller St, Glasgow Since our first outing to Paesano a couple of years back, The Skinny has been singing the praises of their fantastic Neapolitan pizza to literally anyone who’ll listen. It hits all the key points – delicious food, nice vibe, great value and incredibly efficient service. While they may not have invented the pizza, and they’ve since spawned a host of Naplesinspired pizza interlopers, Paesano are still one of the best around.

FOOD AND DRINK

Ox and Finch 920 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow Another long-established favourite, Ox and Finch continue to serve up tasty chunks of modern European cuisine in the form of sharing small plates from seafood to poultry to veg. The team behind O&F recently opened the doors at the Levant-inspired BABA in Edinburgh – marvel at their ludicrous selection of dips and mezze – which we expect to join the Ox and Finch in your affections before too long. theskinny.co.uk/food

THE SKINNY

Photo: Harrison Reid

Words: Peter Simpson

Vegging Out Glasgow continues to be one of the UK’s best cities for meat-free dining, and now Edinburgh’s catching up. We take a look at your veggie favourites...

Words: Peter Simpson

Mono

here was a time, back in the early 2010s, when there was something of a red meat arms race going on. You couldn’t take a step without tripping over a post-industrial burger joint, people were using ‘dirty’ as a positive adjective about food (you know, the stuff that’s explicitly not supposed to have dirt on it), and there was mandatory bacon with everything. But times change, and we all change with them. Jump forward a few years, and Scotland is a hive of interesting vegan and veggie food being served up in an equally interesting set of locations. But in a way, things have always been like this. Hendersons, for example, has been flying the vegetarian dining flag for more than 50 years, helping the meat-free in the capital to get their fill of delicious and meatless cooking. In their halfcentury of operation they’ve grown and grown, and diversified to keep up with the times – their Hanover Street restaurant is an all-day veggie

bistro, while their Thistle Street spot is now 100% vegan (and that’s without even getting into their deli shop, and cafe down by the Scottish Parliament). They’ve been fighting the veggie fight for longer than many of us have been alive, which if nothing else is proof that a meatless lifestyle has its health benefits. Hendersons was joined this year by another H – Harmonium (60 Henderson St, Edinburgh), a supremely cool bar-restaurant in Leith that serves up great dishes and drinks that you’d never know were vegan if you didn’t ask. It’s the latest venture from the minds behind the collection of vegan venues in Glasgow that are part of the reason why the city regularly tops the rankings as one of the most vegan-friendly in the country. Mono (12 Kings Court, Glasgow) is the mothership when it comes to this kind of thing – it’s a community hub that’s buzzing with live music and fun stuff (like a record shop next

Photo: Stephanie Gibson

door), while the kitchen serves up amazing and eccentric food that all happens to be completely free of animal bits. Same deal over the road at the 13th Note (50-60 King St, Glasgow), where the basement is taken up with raucous gigs from local bands while upstairs is a cool and cosy bar that serves up a vicious Bloody Mary and immense vegan breakfast, as well as some of the city’s best chips in five different configurations. These venues, along with Stereo and the Flying Duck, have all been key in Glasgow’s vegan rise thanks to following a simple formula – make good vegan food, and put it next to music.

“Glasgow's vegans follow a simple formula – make good vegan food, and put it next to music” If you’re a staunch meat-eater, and associate a vegan diet with grim utilitarianism despite the fact we just spent a sentence talking about fry-ups and chips, this might be hard to get your head around. Events like Vegan Connections – the music and food festival which expanded to a five-venue, two-day affair last year with plans to return in 2018 – are key to understanding how this all works. VC brings together a host of fun stuff (bands, food, talking about bands and food, drinking) under one umbrella. They’re all good things, so you get under the umbrella. Then you go for some food, and it’s a vegan pizza which you enjoy and voila,

you’re on board. It’s a similar situation over in the West End at The Hug and Pint (171 Great Western Rd, Glasgow); go down for a gig in the basement, and chances are you’re going to fancy a bite to eat beforehand. You hear that The Hug and Pint’s menu of Asian street food-inspired dishes, from black pepper aubergine to spicy papaya salad, is boss, so rather than traipsing up and down Great Western Road you kill two birds with one stone. Except everything you eat is vegan, so it’s more like you help two birds out of a tree on their way to freedom, with one stone. Down in the southside at Ranjit’s Kitchen (607 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow), things follow a slightly different path. OK, it’s not vegan by any stretch (there’s plenty of paneer kicking about, and this is Panjabi homecooking we’re dealing with so you know there’s ghee involved), but no diner could have any complaints about a lack of variety or taste on offer. You’ll find daals, chickpea curries, samosas, and a decadent array of Panjab snacks from gulab jamun to gajrela (the Panjabi take on carrot cake). With all that on offer, there’s no need for a big slab of meat. That’s the big takeaway from this crop of your favourite vegetarian and vegan spots – there’s no need to eat meat if you don’t want to. Some of us still like meat, and others would run a mile before tucking into a ham sandwich, but the Scottish food scene is now at a point where you could go meat-free in almost any scenario and you’d have a range of exciting and inventive options to choose from. Breakfasts, a few beers with pals, a pub lunch, or a pre-gig feed; all can be as meatless as you want. Vegetables – turns out that, unlike all those burgers from before, they’re here to stay. theskinny.co.uk/food

New Kids on the Block Y

ou never know what you’ll find when you step out of the door. You might spot an old venue changing to something new, or hear bus stop chatter about a place that ‘might be a new restaurant or a trendy opticians, it’s hard to tell.’ There’s a reason that when we round up the new venues in Edinburgh and Glasgow every month, you lot go crazy for the intel – it’s highly-prized information that helps you appear in the know and have a great time. It’s the best kind of tasty gossip, in that you can actually eat it. Among your favourites to emerge from the cocoon of building works and ‘Coming Soon’ Instagram posts in 2017 is Ramen Dayo! (25 Queen St, Glasgow), although it didn’t have the smoothest ride to begin with. The brainchild of Paul Beveridge, co-founder of the Numbers record label, Ramen

Dayo! began life as a pop-up ramen cart on Gordon St, then took a brief soujourn into the basement at Max’s on Queen Street, before finally ending up just down the road in a fittingly eccentric location. Inside you’ll find expertly-made and suitably unctuous ramen in a number of different configurations, along with a well-stocked bar and friendly service. Pull up a stool and practice your slurping; excellent ramen awaits. Also among your favourite newcomers is In Bloom (48 Clarendon Pl, Glasgow). Catch a glimpse of that teal shopfront, and take a look at the font above the door, and one 90s grunge band immediately comes to mind. Yes, that one; the fella from the Foo Fighters used to be their drummer. ‘Fully vegan Nirvana-inspired cafe’ isn’t a phrase we really expected to hear in 2017 if we’re being hon-

est, but you lot loved In Bloom for their vegan range of cafe classics both savoury and sweet, and their decor which offers plenty of Cobain nods to enjoy while snacking on a veggie haggis sandwich. Among your other favourite newbies were POTLUCK (38 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow), home to great breakfasts and enormous mezze bowls to crash through like you’re the Cookie Monster; the exciting vegan menu and undeniable cool of Harmonium (60 Henderson St, Edinburgh); the Montreal-inspired and jam-packed bagels of Bross Bagels (186 Portobello High St, Edinburgh); and the spicy Caribbean flavours of Trenchtown (4-8 Lochrin Buildings, Edinburgh). As you can see, a genuine mixed bag, but then that’s the thing about discovering new places – you never know quite what you’ll get, and that’s most of the fun.

Words: Peter Simpson

Bross Bagels

theskinny.co.uk/food

January 2018

FOOD AND DRINK

Feature

Photo: Marc Millar

Your favourite new places from the past twelve months, from ramen stands to Nirvana-inspired vegan cafes

Street Eats If you want some of the most inventive food in Scotland today, your best bet is to hit the streets. Literally. Words: Peter Simpson

he unstoppable rise of street food has been one of the best trends in food for a long time, bringing brilliant and inventive dishes to all manner of places and encouraging all of us to try new things even when we’re standing in the cold or rushing for a train. But, you ask, surely there must be some limits to what you can do in a takeaway, on-the-fly, street food context? Well, naysayers, we have two words for you: crème brûlée. The Crema Caravan serve up burnt-to-order crème brûlée in a host of configurations, and it’s incredible. Next time someone doubts the joys of street food, pull up alongside them eating a freshly-topped brûlée with pieces of chocolate brownie sticking out the top, and watch them eat their words while you eat your dessert. The Caravan pops up at venues, festivals and markets across the country, but they’re also one of the first traders at the ambitious and enormously welcome Dockyard Social venue (95-107 Haugh Rd) in Finnieston, which aims to provide a permanent hub for Glasgow’s street food vendors as well as act as a training centre for up-and-coming culinary talent. They’re joined at the Social by Chompsky, the buccaneering street food van that packs an impressive variety of styles and flavours into its ever-changing menu. From bao to bowls of freekeh to outrageous takes on macaroni cheese, wherever you find Chompsky they’re sure to be up to something fun and interesting. Speaking of permanent hubs for street food scenes, let’s talk about The Pitt (125 Pitt St, Edinburgh). Since throwing open its gates in 2015, this unassuming car yard has fast grown into a genuine foodie institution with a rotating cast of street food vans serving a litany of tasty dishes. But it’s the ever-growing infrastructure of The Pitt

that’s impressed in the last year; go to a good pop-up event or a well-programmed music festival and chances are The Pitt are nearby, luring you in with delicious sandwiches and enormous piles of steak frites. They’ve built a network of street food venues to go with Scotland’s vendors, and the result is that incredible street food is never really that far away any more. And when the weather’s too bad for standing outside, there are street food-inspired venues and takeaway options that are delicious and offer some respite from the elements. Kimchi Cult! (14 Chancellor St, Glasgow) is what an industry bod might call ‘fast casual’, but what we’d call ‘really really good fast food’. KC themselves call it ‘punk riffs on Korean classics’; that’s everything from Korean fried chicken and action-packed rice bowls to kimchi burgers and bulgogi-topped fries. Bross Bagels (186 Portobello High St, Edinburgh) bring authentic Canadian bagels to the party, then stuff them with brilliant combinations of ingredients to make that party even better. Montreal native Larah Bross has joined forces with community bakery Breadshare on the bagels, with local suppliers also chipping in when it comes to fillings; grab a bagel to go, run it off on the beach, come back for another, repeat until you’ve cleared the menu. Or you could take your fellow readers’ advice, and grab a burrito; with its baton-like shape and sealed ends, it should be universally recognised as the best food with which to make a mad dash in a rainstorm. You lot liked Los Cardos (281 Leith Walk, Edinburgh), home of an Irvine Welshendorsed haggis burrito, and proof that street food is so powerful it can even make haggis appear innovative.

Kimchi Cult!

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A Roast Story Your favourite Sunday lunches

Slice of the Action Your favourite pizza

Taco the Town Scotland’s best tacos

Sunday lunch at Chop House (Arch 15, East Market St & 102 Constitution St, Edinburgh) is an outlandish affair with its very own page on their website, featuring award-winning beef from Hardiesmill in the Borders joined by all your classic trimmings and a teeny-tiny pan of bone marrow gravy. Throw in some ace Bloody Marys, and you’ve got yourself a Sunday afternoon. The Butcher Shop (1055 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow) operate a similar policy of ‘get amazing cuts of meat, cook them well, give them to people’, and their Sunday lunch is no exception. Choose from a grass-fed roast sirloin of beef or a bone-in pork chop, bang on a load of sides including outlandishly puffy Yorkshire puddings, and you’re both good to go and not going anywhere. And for the delights of a classic pub lunch with a twist, you like The Scran and Scallie (1 Comely Bank Rd, Edinburgh) and The Sheep Heid Inn (43-45 The Causeway, Edinburgh). The former is the gastropub by revered chef Tom Kitchin; the latter is a genuine old-timey country pub with a 600-year-old skittle alley that’s within walking distance of the city centre. OK, you do have to walk over Arthur’s Seat to get there, but it’s Sunday – you can spare the time.

For the classically minded, Paesano Pizza (94 Miller St & 471 Great Western Rd, Glasgow) is the place to go. Cooked in wood-fired ovens imported from Naples, Paesano’s pizzas are gloriously puffy and pack the burnt edges and gooey centre that you want from a classic Neapolitan pizza. Head to Paesano with a tenner in your pocket and half an hour on the clock, and you can come out at the other side of a pizza and a beer with both time and change to spare. Over in Edinburgh, Civerinos’ two venues offer up a pair of delicious but different takes on the New York-style sourdough pizza. At their main spot (5 Hunter Sq), it’s all long benches, booths and amazingly thin whole pies, while over at their Slice shop (49 Forrest Rd) there’s a grab-and-go focus with a host of classic pizzas available by-the-slice as well as their square Grandma pizza. The wood-fired pizza at Origano (236 Leith Walk) is available in a host of sizes and configurations, meaning that if you can’t quite face a pizza the size of a tractor wheel, you’re still covered. Over the road, La Favorita (325-331 Leith Walk) is another place to get top-notch wood-fired pizza with an impressive array of toppings, and their fleet of charming delivery cars (think a trendier version of Noddy’s motor) means that, even as you sit at home under your duvet, you’re never far from a tasty slice or two.

El Cartel (64 Thistle St, Edinburgh) bring a menu that’s stuffed to the brim with delicious Mexican goodies. There are the classics – the steak, the cod, the ox cheek – and then the more inventive options like a purple broccoli and salsa for the vegans or tempura octopus for the very-much-not-vegans. Bodega (62 Elm Row, Edinburgh) like to play an experimental game with their tacos, drawing on flavours from around the world in their recipes. Their trademark Buffalo chicken taco – spicy chicken, blue cheese dressing, celery – sits alongside a Jamaican jerk pork taco and a tempura avocado taco with wasabi mayo. Oh, and it’s BYOB, so thumbs up all round. And of course, as with the taco itself, reliability and consistency is important. You lot also picked out Taco Mazama and Topolabamba as two of your favourite taco spots – with each operating venues at either end of the M8, they’re a reassuring presence when all you want is a selection of braised meats in an easy-to-carry and eminently countable format.

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FOOD AND DRINK

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Use Your Noodle

t the start of a new year, many of you will be thinking about trying your hands at something new. Maybe you’re getting the bike out of the cupboard, or taking up a new hobby inspired by a particularly well-chosen gift. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ve overdone it on the festive food and fancy a new diet for a while. Well, why not give veganism a whirl? A recordbreaking 50,000 people signed up for Veganuary last year – for the uninitiated, that’s the campaign that aims to encourage all of us to at least give an animal-free diet a bash for the first month of the year – and in recent years there’s been a definite trend towards vegan food getting a solid foothold in the mainstream. Vegans now have more choice to work with than ever as we all try to cut back on the meat and dairy, and the rest of us get to see just what can be done without resorting to animal products. Now Japanese-inspired noodle bar wagamama have introduced an entire vegan menu, aiming to show that food can be inventive, exciting and flavour-packed with or without meat. Inspired by an increasing number of vegan customers, as well as the thoughts and ideas of wagamama’s vegan and veggie staff, wagamama’s vegan menu is true to the brand's ‘kaizen’ philosophy. Kaizen translates to ‘change for the better’, and it means making incremental changes to continue to improve in whatever you do. With plans to integrate feedback into a continually developing range of dishes, this new menu is just the start for wagamama’s vegans. At the same time, this isn’t just one or two token dishes we’re talking about; wagamama’s new vegan menu has a range of nourishing dishes to pick from. It starts with the sides – choose from grilled yasai gyoza, stir-fried broccoli and bok choi, or a fresh and vibrant raw salad packed

January 2018

with Asian flavours, from pickled mooli and seaweed to edamame beans and fried shallots, and topped with a soy dressing. Then there are the mains, which offer the variety and interest-piquing ingredients lists you expect to find on a wagamama menu. Some of the options are vegan versions of the classics you love – like the vegan pad thai and meat free yaki soba. There’s the yasai samla, a Cambodian lemongrass and coconut curry with tofu, peppers and shiitake mushrooms, and then there’s the kare burosu ramen. It’s an all-new dish inspired by a

Fancy giving the vegan diet a try this January? wagamama are here to help you on your way, with their all-new vegan menu

recent trip to Japan; a curried vegetable broth with udon noodles plays host to grilled mushrooms and tofu coated with shichimi spice mix, with a host of other veggies and herbs thrown in for good measure. Frankly, we were convinced at ‘shichimi-coated tofu’. And there’s no letdown when it comes to dessert, with a pair of options to choose from. Select from pink guava and passion fruit or lemongrass and lime sorbet, a pair of fantastic palette cleansers without an animal product in sight. Even the drinks menu gets in on the act – both of

wagamama’s collaborative beers produced alongside the Meantime Brewery in Greenwich are A-OK for vegans. There’s the kansho (Japanese for ‘zest’), which is infused with lime and ginger, or the Kikku (‘kick’) which is brewed with the aforementioned shichimi spice mix. If you’re trying to keep things really healthy to start 2018, look no further than the selection of fresh juice blends – it’s hard not to like a drink that’s literally called ‘positive juice’, and when it contains pineapple, lime, spinach, cucumber and apple it becomes almost impossible. And if you aren’t trying to keep as healthy as possible and fancy a tasty treat with your meal, check out the Jinzu Fever cocktail – Japanese-inspired Jinzu gin, handmade in Scotland and infused with cherry blossom, yuzu fruit and sake, served with tonic and garnished with fresh lemon and pink peppercorns. Totally vegan, and incredibly interesting. And the best part is that none of this takes away from the wagamama classics you might find yourself in the mood for. For longtime vegans, wagamama’s new menu is a great chance to try some new dishes, and for those of you dabbling in a meat-free lifestyle it’s an opportunity to experiment. Rather than a cliff edge, think of your options as a sliding slope – you can go for the kare burosu ramen, switch it up for the vegetarian yasai katsu curry with panko-breaded sweet potato (and pair it with some mushroom and aubergine hirata steamed buns), or try one of the longstanding meaty dishes. More choice, more happy pals to eat with, more laughing at your mate’s chopstick work. Everyone’s happy. wagamama’s vegan menu proves without a doubt that a plant-based diet can be fun, exciting and delicious, and with locations in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Livingston and Edinburgh – including a super-cool and sleek spot at St Andrew Square in the heart of the capital – you won’t be far from some great vegan food no matter where 2018 takes you. Pull up a bench, grab a pair of chopsticks and a green tea, and take a step into the world of veganism. It’s a lot comfier and more familiar than you might have expected. wagamama.com

POTLUCK. A place to eat

Independent cosy cafe serving up modern breakfast, brunch and lunch in a neighbourhood south of the river in Glasgow. Instagram: @Potluck.Glasgow

Opening hours: Tues - Sat 9-5 Sun - 9-3

38 Nithsdale Road Glasgow G41 2AN

38 NITHSDALE ROAD

POTLUCK

Â BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH / LUNCH / COFFEE / CAKE

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Raising the Bar We look at the diverse range of boozers you picked out as your favourite pubs and bars Words: Peter Simpson

Nobles

ubs – as times change and our foodie expectations and ambitions move on, there’s one thing we all still seem to like, and that’s heading out for a drink or two. Annoyingly we stop being able to agree on anything shortly afterwards, but luckily your list of favourite pubs and bars is an eclectic mix with a whole range of styles and options to work through. We’ll start with a classic pub – The Allison Arms (720 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow) has been an ever-present in the Southside for as long as we can remember, and inside things are much as they always have been, with a few minor tweaks. Chief among those tweaks are the fridges packed with hand-picked bottles from across the UK as well as an outlandish selection of German beers. If you want the ambience of a classic local pub with an impressive and well-honed beer selection, this is the place for you. If you fancy an even more varied selection of beers, head over to the 20-odd taps at The Hanging Bat (133 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh). Still one of the capital’s foremost beer bars, the range on offer is always pretty intriguing – a mixture of Scottish microbrewers, one-off experiments, tap takeovers and generally exciting boozy goodness awaits no matter when you head down. There's knowledegable staff to talk you through the various different kinds of pale ale, and comfy sofas to sit on once you’ve made your choice; sounds good to us. For those of you who enjoy old-timey classics with a substantial modern twist, Nobles (44a Constitution St, Edinburgh) is your kind of place. One of the forerunners in Leith’s continuing transformation into a foodie epicentre, Nobles is a Victorian bar that’s all stained glass windows, high

ceilings and big polished pieces of wood on the walls. Bright and airy, with a top-notch drinks selection and mightily impressive food; it’s the archetypal ‘all-day’ pub that can really do it all. If Nobles is the kind of place to spend a whole evening, the bar at Stereo (22-28 Renfield Ln, Glasgow) is an ideal place to bookend a night. Right in the heart of the action in the city centre, Stereo’s a welcoming environment with great vegan food and an excellent range of beers. Oh, and downstairs is one of Glasgow’s best small music venues, which regularly hosts some of the most exciting gigs in town. There’s literally no reason to go any further for a pre-show pint, which is good news for everyone. Paradise Palms (41 Lothian St, Edinburgh) host the occasional gig; they also play host to regular cabaret nights, DJ sets, arts and crafts events. Also, they have a zine and record shop by the bar. Oh, did we mention that they also run their own record label? Possibly the only bar in the city with its own resident poet, Paradise Palms is a constant hive of activity, hilarity, and stuffed toys dangling from the ceiling. Head down during the day for some excellent vegan soul food, or wedge yourself in at night for cocktails and a party vibe; either way, you’ll have a whale of a time. And if you like a little bit of all of the above, head to Inn Deep (445 Great Western Rd, Glasgow), Williams Bros.’ bar in the West End of Glasgow. A historic location by the riverside that’s just been refurbed in a big way, with a dozens-strong selection of beers to choose from, it neatly combines elements from a number of the previously mentioned pubs and bars in one place. theskinny.co.uk/food

Hail Mary Scotland’s Best Bloody Marys

Breakfast means Breakfast Scotland’s Best Brekkie

Hop to It Your Favourite Scottish Breweries

The Bungo (17 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow) actually have six different Marys on the menu. There’s the classic, the Virgin, the Red Snapper (swapping the vodka for gin), and the Bloody Maria (featuring tequila). Then there are the more experimental Smoking Mary, with Talisker single malt whisky, and the Tom Yum Bloody Mary, pairing Asian spices with the classic tomato, vodka and lime. At the Roseleaf (23/24 Sandport Pl, Edinburgh), the Bloody Rose is a Bloody Mary with a house-made spice mix and a Buckfast float – for those occasions when a bacon roll and a can of Irn-Bru won’t quite wake you up, grab one of these and you’ll be on the go in no time. When it comes to spice, no Bloody Mary can hold a candle to 13th Note's (50-60 King St, Glasgow); if you were to hold a candle to it, the wax would immediately start melting in your hand. Pepper-infused Stolichnaya, tomato and lemon juice, with basil and celery to garnish and a red wine float. Oh, and there’s a good whack of Glasgow Mega Death hot sauce in there – you know, the hot sauce with the faintly Satanic yet strangely charming design and impressive-slash-terrifying heat.

If you want to head to Loudons (94b Fountainbridge, Edinburgh) this weekend, we recommend taking a camping chair. Not because of the decor but because the queues outside every Saturday and Sunday are a sight to behold. It makes sense – a very baby and childfriendly vibe, a city centre location with plenty of space for you and all your buddies, and an eclectic menu with options for everyone. At Singl End (265 Renfrew St, Glasgow), the choices are plentiful and almost everything on the breakfast agenda has an interesting twist. Homemade pork and fennel sausages, more egg-based options than you can shake a stick at, and if you want a slice of toast there are six types of house-baked bread to choose from. Six! And speaking of eggs, the baked egg seems incredibly prevalent in your favourite breakfast spots. Ostara Cafe (52 Coburg St, Edinburgh) and Cafe Strange Brew (1082 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow) have both featured them on their exciting menus in recent times, with Strange Brew earning bonus points for serving theirs in lovely little cast iron dishes. Fair play for making the effort; it is, after all, the most important meal of the day.

Caesar Augustus from Williams Bros. is the ideal beer starting point – it’s a super-refreshing hybrid of lager and IPA at just 4.1%, and it tastes lovely. The Pale Armadillo ale from Tempest Brew Co is a cracker; a 3.8% session IPA with heavy citrus and tropical fruit flavours, it’s one to watch out for. Drygate Pilsner is what it says on the label: a 4% pilsner that’s also vegan and gluten-free, and its eye-catching silver label means you won’t miss it. The 3.8% Jarl from Fyne Ales is an excellent session beer (tastes nice but isn’t overpowering), while the 4.6% Vienna Pale from Leith’s own Pilot Brewery is a fantastically crisp pint that is also, according to the brewery, “an annoyer of a certain type of beer geek”. Glasgow’s favourite German brewers WEST work according to centuries-old German tradition, and their 4.9% Helles-style St Mungo lager is the product of years of refinement from brewers everywhere. And there appears to be no stopping Brewdog; their 3.8% Dead Pony Club, a hop-packed and incredibly fragrant citrusy pale ale, is one of our favourites.

January 2018

FOOD AND DRINK

theskinny.co.uk/food

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Cafe Strange Brew

Cafe Culture The day-walking cousin of the pub, cafes are where we go to meet pals, get brunch, and then take photos of that brunch. Here are your favourites...

an, you guys love a good brunch. That’s the first thing we noticed upon digging through this year’s favourite cafes – can’t say we blame you, as a decadent halfway house between breakfast and lunch that lets you still eat the meals either side is our kind of thing. Cafe Strange Brew (1082 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow) does a great line in visually attractive and impressively inventive dishes. Think outlandish piles of pancakes packed high with toppings, and delightfully over-the-top dollops, flourishes and dabs of condiment on everything. At the other side of Queen’s Park, POTLUCK (38 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow) also offers up exquisitely ’grammable and culinarily exciting dishes for all tastes. Have a sweet tooth? Hotcakes with various fruits, parfaits and other toppings await. Big egg fan? Chilli-laced scrambled eggs with salmon and broccoli over here with your name on it. Over in the capital, Ostara Cafe (52 Coburg St, Edinburgh) have a similarly exciting range of brunchy wonders, with a focus on local suppliers.

The Winners Words: Peter Simpson

Whether you like your cafe treats sweet or savoury, Ostara have you covered. Head across the Water of Leith and you’ll find The Hideout (40-42 Queen Charlotte St, Edinburgh). Nice salads, lovely chairs, a great location at the start of Leith’s run of great cafes and restaurants, and an intriguing range of pastries and sandwiches if you don’t fancy the salads. You lot also voted for a pair of Glasgow cafes that manage to strike the occasionally tricky balance between a strong focus on diet and still being the kind of place you’d want to go for a relaxing Saturday morning. At Primal Roast in the city centre (278 St Vincent St), the M.O. is ‘cleaneating’, which means things like sweet potato hash browns and gluten-free cakes; over at Soy Division in Shawlands (51 Kilmarnock Rd), it’s an all-vegan menu that manages to throw in everything from sausage rolls to cheesecakes without a single animal product in sight. theskinny.co.uk/food

Top of the Shops We pull together a fantasy shopping basket from your favourite food and drink shops

Words: Peter Simpson

hen we asked you for your favourite food and drink shops, you picked a quartet that, if visited, would allow you to amass a fairly impressive collection of foodie goodies. We’ll start with the basics – the fruit and veg. Roots Fruits & Flowers (457 Great Western Rd, Glasgow) is a perennial choice among you lot, and with good reason. A huge array of top-drawer greengrocery awaits, with an emphasis on local, high-quality produce. While you can technically live off fruits and vegetables alone, you should probably mix things up a bit with some grains and breads and, y’know, other stuff. If you like your ‘other stuff ’ to be ethically sourced and good for both the environment and your insides, Real Foods’ two rabbit warrenesque branches (37 Broughton St & 8 Brougham St, Edinburgh) are the places to go. All the store cupboard essentials are here living their top-notch, largely organic Best Lives, and there’s also an amazing range of organic chocolate to be had, right by the front door. So you’ve got the basics, now you need to spice things up a bit. Lupe Pintos can help with that – their Glasgow (313 Great Western Rd) and Edinburgh (24 Leven St) shops are legendary hives of legit ingredients from across Central and South America. Lupe Pintos have everything from hard-to-

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Root Fruits & Flowers

find basics to exciting sauces and cheeses to authentic Latin sodas to stop your mouth from catching fire. Oh, and they have a host of recipes and tricks to teach you if you ask nicely. At the risk of coming over all Withnail & I, what we really need to finish this off is some booze. Valhalla’s Goat (449 Great Western Rd) was the off-licence of choice for you lot – a huge range of craft beers from across Scotland and beyond, a wall of wine bottles that looks like one of those trick bookcases until you realise that they’re all real, and an impressive choice of artisan spirits from all over the place. theskinny.co.uk/food

Best Cafe Cafe Strange Brew, 1082 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow; facebook.com/cafestrangebrew The Hideout, 40-42 Queen Charlotte St, Edinburgh; facebook.com/ thehideoutcafeleith Ostara Cafe, 52 Coburg St, Edinburgh; ostaracafe.co.uk POTLUCK, 38 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow; potluckglasgow.com Primal Roast, 278 St Vincent St, Glasgow; primalroast.com Soy Division, 51 Kilmarnock Rd, Glasgow; facebook.com/ soydivisionglasgow Best Food & Drink Shop Lupe Pintos, 24 Leven St, Edinburgh & 313 Great Western Rd, Glasgow; lupepintos.com Real Foods, 8 Brougham St & 37 Broughton St, Edinburgh; realfoods.co.uk Roots Fruits & Flowers, 457 Great Western Rd, Glasgow; rootsfruitsandflowers.com Valhalla’s Goat, 449 Great Western Rd, Glasgow; valhallasgoat.com Best Newcomer Bross Bagels, 186 Portobello High St, Edinburgh; brossbagels.com Harmonium, 60 Henderson St, Edinburgh; harmoniumbar.co.uk In Bloom, 48 Clarendon Pl, Glasgow; facebook.com/ glasgowinbloom POTLUCK, 38 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow; potluckglasgow.com Ramen Dayo, 25 Queen St, Glasgow; ramendayo.com Trenchtown, 4-8 Lochrin Buildings, Edinburgh; trenchtownsocial.com Best Pub/Bar Allison Arms, 720 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow; facebook.com/ theallisonarmspub The Hanging Bat, 133 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh; thehangingbat.com Inn Deep, 445 Great Western Rd, Glasgow; inndeep.com Nobles, 44A Constitution St, Edinburgh; noblesbarleith.co.uk Paradise Palms, 41 Lothian St, Edinburgh; theparadisepalms.com Stereo, 22-28 Renfield Ln, Glasgow; stereocafebar.com

FOOD AND DRINK

Best Restaurant Aizle, 107-109 St Leonard’s St, Edinburgh; aizle.co.uk Alchemilla, 1126 Argyle St, Glasgow; thisisalchemilla.com Harmonium, 60 Henderson St, Edinburgh; harmoniumbar.co.uk Mono, 12 Kings Court, Glasgow; monocafebar.com Ox and Finch, 920 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow; oxandfinch.com Paesano, 94 Miller St & 471 Great Western Rd, Glasgow; paesanopizza.co.uk Ting Thai Caravan, 8-9 Teviot Pl, Edinburgh; tingthai-caravan.com Trenchtown, 4-8 Lochrin Buildings, Edinburgh; trenchtownsocial.com Best Takeaway & Street Food Bross Bagels, 186 Portobello High St, Edinburgh; brossbagels.com Chompsky, touring around Scotland; chompsky.co.uk The Crema Caravan, touring around Scotland; thecremacaravan.co.uk Kimchi Cult!, 14 Chancellor St, Glasgow; kimchicult.com Los Cardos, 281 Leith Walk, Edinburgh; loscardosonline.com The Pitt, 125 Pitt St, Edinburgh; thepitt.co.uk Best Vegetarian/Vegan 13th Note, 50-60 King St, Glasgow; 13thnote.co.uk Harmonium, 60 Henderson St, Edinburgh; harmoniumbar.co.uk Hendersons, 94 Hanover St, 25c Thistle St & 67 Holyrood Rd, Edinburgh; hendersonsofedinburgh.co.uk The Hug and Pint, 171 Great Western Rd, Glasgow; thehugandpint.com Mono, 12 Kings Court, Glasgow; monocafebar.com Ranjit’s Kitchen, 607 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow; ranjitskitchen.com Best Beer Brewdog; brewdog.com Drygate; drygate.com Fyne Ales; fyneales.com Pilot; pilotbeer.co.uk Tempest Brewing Co; tempestbrewco.com WEST; westbeer.com Williams Bros.; williamsbrosbrew.com

In alphabetical order!

Best Breakfast Cafe Strange Brew, 1082 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow; facebook.com/cafestrangebrew Loudons, 94b Fountainbridge, Edinburgh; loudons.co.uk Ostara Cafe, 52 Coburg St, Edinburgh; ostaracafe.co.uk Singl End, 265 Renfrew St, Glasgow; thesingl-end.co.uk Best Bloody Mary 13th Note, 50-60 King St, Glasgow; 13thnote.co.uk The Bungo, 17 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow; thebungo.co.uk Roseleaf, 23/24 Sandport Pl, Edinburgh; roseleaf.co.uk Best Pizza Civerinos, 5 Hunter Sq & 49 Forrest Rd, Edinburgh; civerinos.com La Favorita, 325-331 Leith Walk, Edinburgh; vittoriagroup.co.uk Origano, 236 Leith Walk, Edinburgh; origano-leith.co.uk Paesano, 94 Miller St & 471 Great Western Rd, Glasgow; paesanopizza.co.uk Best Sunday Lunch The Butcher Shop, 1055 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow; butchershopglasgow.com Chop House, Arch 15, East Market St & 102 Constitution St, Edinburgh; chophousesteak.co.uk Scran and Scallie, 1 Comely Bank Rd, Edinburgh; scranandscallie.com The Sheep Heid Inn, 43-45 The Causeway, Edinburgh; thesheepheidedinburgh.co.uk Best Tacos Bodega, 62 Elm Row, Edinburgh; ilovebodega.com El Cartel, 64 Thistle St, Edinburgh; elcartelmexicana.co.uk Taco Mazama, various in Edinburgh & Glasgow; tacomazama.co.uk Topolabamba, 89 St Vincent St, Glasgow & 93 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh; topolabamba.com theskinny.co.uk/food

THE SKINNY

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January 2018

Life Through a Lens Merrill Garbus tells us about exploring her relationship with whiteness on Tune-Yards’ ominously-titled fourth album, I can feel you creep into my private life, and officially re-branding as a duo

hether it’s members of the KardashianJenner clan sporting cornrows, Miley Cyrus twerking anywhere and everywhere she could for about a year straight, or Halloween revellers donning blackface, incidents of cultural appropriation can range from the seemingly minute to the extremely offensive. On Tune-Yards’ fourth album I can feel you creep into my private life, Merrill Garbus explores cultural appropriation through the lens of a white female artist and details the “white guilt” that permeates her life, as a musician and human being. “I think it’s interesting when you start to unpack whiteness and what’s not seen. There are a lot of us who feel unseen and there are parts of us that are erased by white supremacy; by this idea of whiteness, this idea of skin colour and this idea of race and how many assumptions are made,” says Garbus. On the album’s centrepiece Colonizer, Garbus is at her most conflicted with her privilege and her whiteness. ‘I use my white woman’s voice to tell stories of travels with African men,’ she sings, her vocals distorted through auto-tune but the words still ringing loud and clear. “Part of what I was looking at was what is white? And what is a white voice? And how little that word actually means when it comes down to it,” she says. “It felt true to me those lyrics – all the lines about a white woman’s voice are very specific, but it’s something that might strike people in different ways.” Dabbling with elements of electronica, Easterninfluenced psychedelia and tribal sounds, the track is as sonically interesting as it is lyrically, but still leaves room for the words to remain its guiding factor. It ends with Garbus’ eerie muffled voice reciting the album’s title, a phrase which is later repeated in the same tonation on Private Life towards the end of the album. The lyric itself, however, is one that Garbus recycled from another song that failed to end up on the album but its resonance stuck with her. “There was something about the way that the melody interacted with the words that felt really disturbing and I think a lot of what I was exploring while we made this album was disturbing,” she says. “It feels like maybe it’s going to be about surveillance, but I think for me it was really understanding the systems that we grow up in, how now as a 38-year-old I see how embedded those things are in me and how disturbing that felt to me.” During college, Garbus spent some time in Africa, where she taught music at a primary school in Kenya, but also travelled to other countries while she was there. She took time to study the various different musical genres of the places she visited and her experience there has undoubtedly had an impact on Tune-Yards’ sound. But Garbus notes that her whiteness, and the privileges awarded to her as a result of this, played a large part in influencing her experience of Africa. “There’s this tendency to use my time travelling in Africa as a point of legitimacy, like I’ve seen the real thing, but I saw everything from the perspective of being a white American college student travelling in, most of the time, a very sheltered way and of course through the lens of my own experience thus far,” she says. “Yes, I had the experience of seeing Tarab music live, being performed for tourists, and I spent time on the island of Lamu, where I saw traditional music being performed there, which we paid for as part of a dinner. “So, that’s what the challenge is and that’s what I was trying to understand through this album. It’s always going to be through my own lens and it’s always going to be through the lens of me traversing the world with white skin and that, of course, can have all these different varia-

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tions and it doesn’t take into account so many things about me, but that’s the framework for which I go through the world.” However, although the influence of African and world music is evident, Tune-Yards’ sound is just as rooted in Garbus’ background in folk and classical piano. Garbus’ dad played old-time folk music and her mother was a piano teacher, the influence from both of which can be heard across all of Tune-Yards’ music and again on I can feel you creep into my private life. Opening track Heart Attack is a prime example of the kind of sonic exploration that takes place on a Tune-Yards song, beginning with a subtle, solo piano before hitting you with handclaps, saturated drums, pulsing synths and even a brief string section.

“ I think that rock musicians can be assholes so I prefer not to become that”

Tune-Yards play The Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 14 Mar

Merrill Garbus

tune-yards.com

The new album is Tune-Yards’ first as an official duo, with Garbus’ longtime musical collaborator and now husband Nate Brenner credited as a co-producer. Although Brenner has been involved in Tune-Yards for the majority of their existence, his role has increased over the years and, despite Garbus still being behind all the album’s lyrics, it was much more of a collaborative effort than their previous releases in terms of its sound. “The other records have officially been my production because understandably, I’ve wanted to really own my music, in that I think with a lot of woman, people say ‘who’s the guy behind her sound?’ And I wanted to make it crystal clear that these are my sounds,” she says. “But I thought now it’s starting to feel a little dishonest to say this is all me, that the way Tune-Yards gets portrayed is all me, and I felt like Nate’s role was getting erased, that his role was becoming invisible instead of it being really clear.” In addition to her work with Tune-Yards, Garbus also presents a monthly radio show on Red Bull Radio called C.L.A.W. – the Collaborative Legions of Artful Womxn. Airing on the second Monday of every month, Garbus cherry-picks new music by female-identifying producers, instrumentalists and vocalists and also pairs up two different performers each month to collaborate on a track, which is then aired exclusively on the show. “I had this idea of just wanting women producers to work with other women artists because I know that there are women producers out there, but what I was seeing was that there weren’t a lot of women producing records, they were just producing their own stuff,” she says. “I just [thought] wouldn’t it be really fascinating to have more of those voices highlighted and more of those voices supported by other female-identifying producers and creators.” No matter how great the heights Tune-Yards reach, however, there’s no need to worry about Garbus ever getting caught up in the rock’n’roll lifestyle. “I think that rock musicians can be assholes so I prefer not to become that,” she says, and it’s difficult to imagine she ever will. I can feel you creep into my private life is released on 19 Jan via 4AD

Photo: Eliot Lee Hazel

Interview: Nadia Younes

C.L.A.W. Recommends Linafornia Blending the vintage soul sounds of Madlib and J Dilla, LA-based producer Linafornia’s debut album Yung is a record that every hiphop head needs in their collection, like right now. Garbus is such a big fan that she’s even brought her on the road with Tune-Yards for their US tour, and hopefully for the rest of us, she’ll be joining them on their UK tour in March too. linafornia.bandcamp.com Xenia Rubinos Brooklyn-based musician Xenia Rubinos channels her Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage into her music, which fuses afrobeat, hip-hop, jazz and soul. Her 2016 album Black Terry Cat is an

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absolute gem, in which Rubinos explores her heritage and contemplates what it means to be a person of colour in the world today. xeniarubinos.bandcamp.com NOIA New York-based Gisela Fulla-Silvestre – aka NOIA – moved to the states from Barcelona, Spain to study Film Scoring & Sound Design at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where she began to pursue her music more seriously. Playing with lo-fi, house and R’n’B sounds, NOIA’s brand of synth-pop has a dreamlike quality to it that will take you to higher places, so prepare to be whisked away. noiamusic.bandcamp.com

THE SKINNY

Singing from Both Sides Interview: Nadia Younes Photo: Allan Lewis

Gearing up to release their debut album, Dream Wife tell us about transitioning from art school project to full-time band, collaborating with fellow creatives and how appearances can be deceiving

ream Wife are your ultimate fantasy, just not in the way their name may suggest; not your average Stepford Wives, Dream Wife are bad bitches and proud of it. Since transitioning from a performance art project to an actual band, word has spread thick and fast about Dream Wife’s live shows, and those words are “holy fuck!” To see the band live is to take the youthful energy and raucousness of the late 70s punk scene and merge it with the playful attitude of 90s girl bands. But when it comes to IRL punk behaviour, their antics haven’t quite reached Sex Pistols level yet. “I stole some £1 hairbands on a whim. I don’t normally shoplift, I just really wanted some hairbands, then Alice called me and it was time to go so I just ran out of the shop but I think I looked really suspicious and I think [the shop assistant] thought I stole a lot more than I did,” explains bassist Bella Podpadec about getting banned from a Glasgow Matalan last year. “I think it was Bella’s green hair,” adds vocalist Rakel Mjöll. “They’re just not used to it because we look like punks, but we’re absolute angels.” The trio is completed by guitarist Alice Go and all three members met while studying at art school in Brighton. The band came to life as part of a university assignment, for which they developed an imaginary band, but what started off as a bit of fun quickly snowballed into the formation of Dream Wife as we know them today. “It wasn’t until a few months after we had done that, we realised there was this incredible chemistry between us and we decided to pursue this,” says Mjöll. “It was this sort of ongoing energy from something we thought would just be like ‘that’s that’,” adds Go. Fun is a key factor in Dream Wife’s appeal. Listening to their upbeat 70s punk meets 90s pop bangers, or seeing them frolicking around on stage, it’s evident that they’re relishing every minute of their success, and that enthusiasm is incredibly infectious. They say that this playfulness is rooted in their ethos as a band, stemming from their unconventional beginnings, and is still as important now as it was when they first started. “When you’re studying art, what you’re doing is playing and that

was exciting at the time for all of us,” says Go. “[University] is a very safe space for people to exchange ideas and you’re allowed to just play, and we were all in very playful places,” adds Podpadec. And the playing hasn’t stopped. Dream Wife’s self-titled debut album captures all that is great about their live energy but packages it up into a perfect pop-punk masterclass. Go’s razor-sharp guitar riffs and Podpadec’s slick basslines lend perfectly to Mjöll’s staccato vocals: the melodies shifting from angst-fuelled fury on tracks like Let’s Make Out and F.U.U. to delicate beauty on Love Without Reason and Act My Age. The album was recorded in Eastcote Studios in West London, which was founded and personally designed by former owner Philip Bagenal in the 80s and over the years has been graced by the presence of Adele, Depeche Mode and Tom Jones, to name a few. The trio brought in an old university friend, Alex Paveley, to play drums on the record who has since continued to play with them at their live shows. But, despite all their experience of playing the songs live, the recording process didn’t turn out to be quite as plain and simple as they’d anticipated. “For us, songs are always changing a little bit – the more we play them live, the more elements we realise,” says Mjöll. “When we started recording, we thought we’d just get this done in two months and it would be ready, but when we started the mixing process we realised there were so many things missing… so we needed to step away to be able to understand what it was.” “What we wanted to get down is trying to get the live sound as true as possible, but I think in a way that it was elevated as a recording as well,” adds Go. “It is an active process and taking it out and seeing how it goes down at the live show is a really important thing for us to be engaging with and understanding our music through, rather than sitting back and thinking about it more clinically in a studio.” Refusing to leave their art backgrounds behind though, the trio also take a very hands on approach when it comes to their set design and have been known to conjure up all kinds of weird

and wonderful themes for their shows. At their EP01 launch party, friend and collaborator Aidan Zamiri designed a space beach set, which included silver-painted palm trees and mannequins – one of which was stolen during a gig in Glasgow, on the same day of the infamous Matalan incident – and they also hosted ‘The Graveyard Party’ at their show at Moth Club in London on Halloween last year.

“ I got so many messages and it was almost a wake-up call for some people. It’s a statement: I am not my body, I’m somebody” Rakel Mjöll

Collaborating with different artists is something that’s very important to the band. In the early days, the trio were rarely seen outside of a pastel colour frame in their videos and images but rather than being a palette they wanted to be associated with, this pastel aesthetic came about through collaborations with photographers Maisie Cousins and Meg Lavender, as well as an array of creatives associated with intersectional feminist fashion and culture zine, Polyester. “We met a lot of people through that network and we definitely see ourselves as kind of being part of that scene of people,” says Go. “It was really fun to leave Brighton from university to move to London – university just continued because you’re in the same kind of group that was excited about

this kind of collaboration and playing, even though they were also working on projects that were serious too,” adds Mjöll. While the band are clearly fond of having fun, they do also address important issues in their music. Somebody, for example, is a track that addresses sexism and rape culture very openly and was inspired by the SlutWalk, an event which takes place in several cities across the world on various different days. The walks began after Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto police officer, said“women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised” at Osgoode Hall Law School during a forum advising students on personal safety, particularly addressing the issue of campus rape. ‘You were a cute girl standing backstage / It was bound to happen,’ Mjöll begins before proceeding to list off a series of stereotypical comments made towards woman about their appearance. But that opening line has a much deeper, personal meaning. “My friend said that line when I got assaulted backstage at a concert,” says Mjöll. “The whole event itself, I got through that a few months afterwards by talking about it but that line didn’t leave, that line is still in my head. “When that song was released a few months ago, I did not expect an initial reaction from so many of our friends. I got so many messages and it was almost a wake-up call for some people. It’s a statement: I am not my body, I’m somebody,” concludes Mjöll. Podpadec adds: “It speaks to both sides as well, even in the way you sing. You’re singing from both sides of the story and I feel like it provides people an opportunity to think differently about their own situations and about the way in which they act around other people as well.” It’s not all fun and games with Dream Wife, they want to challenge you too and they perfectly bridge that gap between pop and punk ideologies. As Mjöll notes, punks can be angels too and Dream Wife prove just that, even if Matalan security disagree. Dream Wife is released on 26 Jan via Lucky Number Dream Wife play Stereo, Glasgow, 23 Mar dreamwife.co

January 2018

Music

Feature

THE SKINNY

Still Alive As The Spook School ready themselves for the release of new album Could it be Different?, we chat self-care, safer spaces and the sudden closure of Fortuna Pop!

Interview: Kate Pasola Photo: Sarah Donley

“I

think touring is when I’m my best self.” Though the wryness of Adam Todd – guitarist and vocalist in The Spook School – is wrapped in honesty, all four band members crumble into rapturous laughter. We’ve spent the last 20 minutes discussing harassment, abuse, safe spaces and the state of the world, and it’s clear the selfdefined queer-punk outfit are keenly aware of the power held in comic relief. The topic at hand is self-care – more specifically, the toll touring takes on the mental health of musicians. “I think if you’re just getting to a place and then going to a venue, playing a show and then sleeping, and then getting into a van and going to another venue – that could be kind of depressing,” shares guitarist and vocalist Nye Todd, who co-founded The Spook School with brother Adam. While Nye’s self-care strategy involves “getting up early and making sure that you see the sun,” bassist and vocalist Anna Cory thinks they “need to get better at turning down rider drinks.” And for the irrepressible Niall McCamley, the band’s drummer? “Every now and again I’ll disappear. I’ll let everyone else hang out as a group and I’ll just go for a giant walk around somewhere. And if people try to talk to me in a language I don’t understand I’ll get scared and try and find everyone again.” But for Adam, it’s a different story: “I don’t like getting home.” Following the confetti-worthy successes of debut album Dress Up (2013) and sophomore release Try to be Hopeful (2015), the band spent the tail-end of last year relentlessly touring the UK and Europe in support of explosive NYC duo Diet Cig. “You’re just in your own little bubble…” Adam continues, “and then you get home and you’ve got so much going on.” The band’s up-coming North American tour (also with Diet Cig) is set to be even more extensive, a run of 20-odd dates in early 2018 across a geographical span of over 10,000 miles. “Longer than The Proclaimers!” declares Niall to the sound of guffaws from his bandmates. This tour coincides with the release of the band’s new album, Could it be Different?, a vital collection of 11 songs that enlist the band’s trademark optimism and spirited lyricism to cut through society’s constructs and normative BS. Though the album mixes more explicit social commentary with personal stories, every morsel stands for something. “I think in the smaller personal songs... there’ll often be something [where] you’ll listen and go ‘oh, this is clearly not about like a straight relationship,’” says Anna. “Little things like that, I think people maybe are happy to hear anyway, even if it’s not what the entire song is about. Little hints.” The record dropkicks listeners into The Spook School’s technicolour utopia from the off with new track Still Alive, a song penned by Nye after surviving an abusive relationship. By now, Spook School gig-goers have become accustomed to participating in cathartic chants, and Still Alive’s anthemic refrain ‘Fuck you, I’m still alive’ doesn’t disappoint. The song celebrates resilience rather than giving limelight to abusers; but such uncapped joy begs the question – how does the band manage to consistently transform melancholy into musical tonics? “We’re always focused on stuff that’s fun to play live,” explains Nye. “Even if a song started out really kinda depressing in all aspects, I think once we’ve been in the practice room for a while, that’s probably not that much fun to play. So, y’know, we make it more fun.” The track’s unbridled radiance spills into the music video too – a DIY affair in which Breakfast

Muff ’s Eilidh McMillan uses treacle to conduct sugary voodoo on a selection of Spook School mini-me dolls. Though the process resulted in a sweetly irreverent video, it wasn’t without logistical challenges. “At that stage Niall had never heard of or seen treacle,” Anna smirks, winsomely sparring with him. “I’d heard of it, and I’d heard the phrase ‘running through treacle’ but I never put two and two together,” he offers regretfully. “I thought ‘ooh, I’ll have a spoonful o’ that’.... and what did I say?” Anna dutifully responds – “You said ‘It’s alright, I couldn’t eat a whole tin” – and we’re back to laughter. Joy follows The Spook School wherever they go, and though live shows often feel like a knees-up, the band are also serious about protecting their fans. Channelling their astute observations on gender and privilege into gigs, they try to ensure safer space policies and gender neutral bathrooms. “At our shows... it’s often a very positive environment,” Anna smiles. “You can kind of briefly forget about other things outside that are not so good – [it] feels nice to be in those places with people who’re kind of on your side.” Their philosophy is shared by tour buddies Diet Cig, too. “I don’t think we’ve ever explicitly said that we’re only gonna play with bands that have safer space policies,” Nye adds. “But... we tend to like and respect a lot of bands that do that sort of stuff, and that makes us want to play with them more... it kind of feeds into the whole package.” It’s perhaps such overlapping outlooks between the two touring bands that contributed to The Spook School’s enlisting of Diet Cig’s manager, Jessi Frick of Salty Management. “We never set out

to get a manager,” Nye explains. “But we could see that Jessi is very much on our wavelength and shares our values. I think if just some old music industry dude came up to us and asked if he could be our manager, I think it’d be like…” the band catch his drift and chuckle knowingly as he trails off. Mindful of the bands’ intensive tour schedule, at one point Frick even hired them a large Airbnb to collectively hang out, blow off steam, and, according to Anna “give each other stick and pokes at 3am.”

“ There’s a bit of my head that’s like ‘Adam, what are you doing? You’re wasting your life!’” Adam Todd

Maybe this all sounds delightfully hedonistic, but the band remain pragmatic and grounded. Their knack for strategising was perhaps fortified by the knock they suffered in the summer of 2016 when the label they were signed to, Fortuna Pop!, decided to call it a day. “I think it was a blanket email to everyone on the label, just being like ‘Hey, so, I’ve decided that I’m not going to run the label anymore, I’m moving to Japan,’” Nye explains “...Which is fair enough... But I remember looking

at it and being like ‘I’m not sure I’m reading this right.’” According to Niall, the band were terrified. “[It] felt like someone was letting go of our hand.” But in swooped Alcopop! who signed the band for their third album, allowing them to focus on what they do best; writing sonic gifts for the world and creating innovative merchandise – the latter of which they refer to as “the lifeblood”, due to the fact they’re currently being paid a supporting fee for their touring efforts. “I’m the person in the band who has taken on the responsibility for setting up the merch at every show,” says Adam. “I really love selling it. I don’t know if it’s maybe the little capitalist in me – there’s a bit of my head that’s like ‘Adam, what are you doing? You’re wasting your life!’ And then I get to, y’know, actually sell things and people are giving me money, and I’m like ‘Oh yeah, this is a bit like a job!’” Along with a brand new album, 2018 also sees the fifth annual edition of The Spook School’s iconic calendar “spearheaded” by Niall. According to the project manager himself, the photos, taken by Anna, are “not completely nude, and they’re not completely sexy either” and there’s “more skin than probably needs to be on show.” Though when Anna agrees, Niall becomes defensive: “I was sexy the entire time!” From Anna’s response – “You were holding a saxophone in your pants!” – and with the dozenth bout of laughter that this ignites, it’s clear the interview is over. The Spook School, droll and charming, are not only still alive – they’re galvanised. Could it be Different? is released on 26 Jan via Alcopop! The Spook School play Stereo, Glasgow, 27 Jan thespookschool.com

January 2018

Music

Feature

Holding Their Own We catch up with Django Django at the end of 2017 to talk about their busy work schedule and their latest record, Marble Skies

jango Django burst out of the gates with their self-titled debut in 2012, a sun-dappled, paintflecked slice of psychedelia. But long before Mercury Prize nominations and gold records they were just a group of friends, classmates and flatmates attending Edinburgh College of Art in the early-2000s. “The whole band thing took me by surprise,” Tommy Grace (synths) explains, “I was more into art and graphic design; I imagined myself doing something visual.” It wasn’t until the group had moved to London that they began making music together. “We were all doing things separately [in Edinburgh], I would be doing art and Dave [Maclean] DJ’d a lot... I don’t know why we didn’t [make music], there’s no excuse really, the college had a great little studio.” It’s now been ten years since the group’s first performance (December 2007), Grace remembers wistfully, and they’re getting ready to release their third record, Marble Skies. The album is being described as something of a ‘return to form’ as it hews closer to the sound of the immensely successful Django Django. Grace recalls the differences in the recording process of their second album, Born Under Saturn, “We spent a lot of money in studio fees last time round, we went to a big studio and lost a bit of control over what we did. We were recording on a programme we didn’t know that well and relying on a conduit, a go-between.” What the band gained in polish and studio expertise, they lost in creative autonomy, something that they were eager to recover for the new album. “Don’t get me wrong, we learned loads of stuff – and got some really lovely recordings – but this time we wanted to be in control of it ourselves. [Marble Skies] is a bit of an amalgamation of how we made the first and second record, taking the positives of both. It’s a bit more all over the shop,” Grace laughs, “...in a really good way.” Grace is speaking to us ahead of a day of rehearsals at the band’s hideout in Tottenham, where they’re “getting a wee set together” for the

Interview: Lewis Wade

Other Voices festival in Ireland. They recently premiered some new material at the Alternative Peers’ Ball at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. “[It’s] slightly terrifying taking new material out on the road when the record’s not even out... but I think we got a good reaction,” he says, despite some misgivings about the venue and it being a little grander than the band are used to. The Django writing and recording process, like much of their approach, runs contrary to accepted practices. Grace explains that the band generally record the songs, then figure them out, instead of “writing them and then going off to record them, it’s the opposite.” The same happens when transferring them to a live setting, but he assures us that it’s “coming together... we’re confident of the songs this time round, that they can hold their own.” An optimistic tone is constantly present in Grace’s voice, revealing a real belief in the new album, although possibly in reaction to the slightly less emphatic reception to their second album. Despite forming in late-2000s London, Grace doesn’t believe that the band were particularly informed by contemporary trends. “You get bands that come to be noticed as part of a scene... we always felt like outsiders, very much in our own bubble.” While they’ve drawn comparisons to other art-rock/psychedelic bands over their career (Clinic, for example, or The Beta Band, helped by the familial connection between Django’s Dave and Beta Band’s John Macleans), Django Django have always felt like a group standing apart from the zeitgeist. “The thing with Django is that it’s never been about a single influence, it’s like a total smörgåsbord,” he says laughing, “...we’re not minimalists by any stretch of the imagination; every song is its own world.” During the making of their first album the band “tried to make a poster of influences... like Daft Punk’s Teachers, where they namecheck all the people who’ve inspired them – all the people we love; directors, musicians, poets, what-

ever, and we had this list that had to be chopped down because there was just so much.” Indulging every whim and influence is usually a surefire way to create an overstuffed, overblown and over-budget collection of songs, but it is testament to the behind-the-scenes skills of drummer/ producer, Dave Maclean, that the material doesn’t buckle under its own weight, with each disparate part able to complement the whole as opposed to taking focus. “Dave’s usually the one behind the computer at the end saying ‘Yeah, pile it on.’ Maybe on the next record,” Grace muses, “we were talking about getting out of our comfort zone, take an instrument each, make a record, self-imposed rules, so we can make something more focused and minimal.”

“ Coming together... we’re confident of the songs this time round, that they can hold their own” Tommy Grace

However, this sounds like the sort of constant creative pondering that the band seem to embody: next year is firmly about the road. “We’ll definitely have our touring heads on, for sure,” Grace maintains assertively, “we’re always working on bits and bobs, though.” The different projects that the members have pursued over the years is demonstrative of the varied artistic background of the band. In just the last few years, despite Grace claiming that the band have been “totally hunkered down in our cave,” they’ve written music for Slow West (John Maclean’s directorial debut, featuring

Michael Fassbender) and travelled to Mumbai with the British Council to record with local musicians, something Grace found to be “really inspirational.” Dave also found time to join Damon Albarn in Mali with the Africa Express for his Maison des Jeunes album, and to write a score alongside Grace for The White Devil, a Royal Shakespeare Company production of the John Webster play. A hands-on, workaholic streak is a constant thread for this band, though they now find that they have to delegate a little more than at the beginning. For example, in the creation of the video for second single, In Your Beat, which came out at the end of November. “Dave had the idea that we could design loads of posters, snippets of lyrics and stuff, then we would animate them... but we don’t have time to be designing hundreds of posters, so we approached Brodie (Kaman)... and I think it looks great.” The cut and paste, psychedelic style of the video is certainly in keeping with the band’s DIY aesthetic, and their tendency towards artistic endeavours outside of music. “The band is a great enabler,” Grace gleefully admits, allowing the members to find so many creative outlets. It has slowed down though, he thinks, as three of the four band members now have children. Despite making them less aware of whatever else is going on in the cultural sphere, it doesn’t seem to have dimmed the creative force of the band as they prepare to release new music and hit the road. We tell Grace about one of the first times we saw Django Django in 2012, and the sheepish and awed reaction of the group to so many people turning up. “I don’t think that much has changed,” he laughs, “I’m still amazed when I see so many people... you’ve just gotta work hard to keep it fresh.” With the seemingly tireless work ethic and creativity exuded by this band, that shouldn’t be a problem. Marble Skies is released on 26 Jan via Ribbon Music Django Django play Fat Sam's, Dundee, 26 Feb; The Garage, Aberdeen, 27 Feb; SWG3, Glasgow, 1 Mar djangodjango.co.uk

Feature

Music

THE SKINNY

December 2017

THE SKINNY

Optimism Within Reason Ahead of the release of their fifth studio album, Semicircle, producer and The Go! Team leader Ian Parton explains how the band’s sense of utopia is needed more now than ever before

he Go! Team arrived in a technicolor explosion with 2004’s debut Thunder, Lightning, Strike and have been dazzling fans ever since with their hyper-clash dance-pop. In a music universe increasingly dominated by solo artists, it’s not an easy time to be in a band. With album advances evaporating and recording budgets reduced to dust, many songwriters are wondering what the point is in assembling a gang of unpredictable musicians who will only gobble up any money you make from touring. The late 2010s are likely to be remembered as a time of pre-recorded backing tracks and laptops taking centre stage. Less is more. Hiring a brass section would be viewed by some as even more reckless than chartering a private jet. Unless you’re The Go! Team. When Brighton’s favourite purveyors of maximalist pop music hit the road for a UK tour in February, there will be no fewer than eight of them on stage – including two horn players. Achieving a profit will be challenging to say the least. But for team leader, songwriter and production wizard Ian Parton, it will be more than worth it. “I’ve got an aversion to laptops on stage,” he says. “Zero tolerance. I’ve always been into gangs. I like the idea of bands. I like the visual thing – particularly with The Go! Team. We all look and move differently. Some of us thrash around on stage, while others bring much more of a funk thing. It’s the clash that I’m interested in, and always have been, really.” None of this will be a surprise to long-term fans of the band. Their debut LP still sounds as fresh and exciting today as it did in 2004, when it easily outshone the legions of lad bands offering little more than straightened hair. While angular guitar riffs were the order of the day, Parton served up a self-produced collection of songs that sounded like a demented garage band with a fixation on bubblegum dance-pop. Northern Soul horns, eclectic samples and piano melodies were blended to create something extraordinary. One critic described it as “a slap on the arse of complacent music-makers everywhere.” That singular sound was brought to glorious life on stage when Parton recruited a six-strong live band centred around Ninja, a lead vocalist and rapper with boundless energy and unique dance moves. She returns on the band’s fifth album, Semicircle, along with current live players Simone Odaranile, Sam Dook and Angela ‘Maki’ Won-Yin Mak. It’s a return to a collaborative way of working for Parton after the previous album – 2015’s The Scene Between – became something of a solo project. “The old line-up fell apart because people had kids and jobs,” he says. “It kind of fell back to the original Thunder, Lightning, Strike thing of just me. That record was very much about melody and hooks, rather than the classic Go! Team sound. [On] this record, there’s a new line-up – Ninja is back – and I was trying to include them as much as possible. I’m the one that sits listening to samples for months on end, but down the line everyone will get the call to come and do their thing. Simone’s an amazing drummer, and she’s all over it. It’s much more of a team effort – with much heavier brass, almost like a marching band in a way [but] the way marching bands never sound. I’ve taken the potential of it, rather than the sporty or patriotic versions you hear. It’s all been thrown together – that’s the feel. It’s going off, it’s not tight.” Parton sums up the Go! Team sound as “being about personality” and “voices rather than perfection”. There’s some kind of quality you can’t quite put your finger on. Never a man content to make the same kind of record twice, he decided to expand his idea of marching band-gone-rogue

January 2018

by recruiting a rather unlikely team of collaborators to sing on Semicircle. This led him to Detroit to record the city’s youth choir. “Detroit is a city I have always been interested in,” he explains. “It kind of encapsulates the things I love – how music can be slammed up against feedback and noise, or bad ass rock music or whatever. In this case, I was imagining community choirs and a particular kind of sound. For me, it’s tightrope walking. I don’t want over-singing, gospeltypes, and I don’t want kids’ choirs like St. Winifred’s (responsible for 1980s cringeworthy Christmas number one There’s No-One Quite Like Grandma). There’s something about the sound of a teenage choir – the looseness of it, the lack of slickness, and the character. It was a voyage into the unknown really.” Parton arrived in the Motor City with a firm idea of how songs on Semicircle would work. “I always build things up in layers, so the songs were pretty locked down at that point. It’s another feature of The Go! Team that we don’t have a uniform vocal sound across the albums – it’s about difference as much as anything. What song needs what kind of voice – one might need a choir, one might need a French accent. It’s about racking my brains and thinking about what it needs really.” His trip to Illinois also offered the opportunity to explore Detroit’s incredible musical heritage. “I always had an interest in the counterculture dimension of the city, and obviously the Motown thing.” Parton continues, “It’s always

interesting to compare the myth with the reality. There is a bit of hype about urban decay and the city going down, which I didn’t really find to be the case. It’s an interesting place, visually. I take a Super 8 camera with me pretty much everywhere I go – there was stuff to film everywhere, from handwritten signs to fonts.”

“ I’m not that keen on the literal protest song because it’s so difficult to get right without it becoming a cringe-fest or a sledgehammer” Ian Parton

Closer to home, as the UK lumbers towards a door marked Brexit like a gorilla with a hangover, ageing cynics may question whether escapist hyper-pop is a suitable soundtrack for these trou-

bled times. Parton insists The Go! Team stand for the good things in life and offer a welcome respite to depressing headlines. “It’s become a bit of an indie cliché, this whole Trump-y state of the world thing,” he begins. “I’m guessing all of the bands you’ve interviewed recently have been mouthing off about the state of the world. The thing you have to wrestle with now is dividing your brain in half. You either have to be completely switched on and know the score to keep track on everything... and the other half has to go ‘No, ignore that shit and get on with it. They can’t touch us.’ I guess The Go! Team is part of that side – the ‘fuck ‘em, we’re going to get on with our own thing.’ A sense of optimism within reason. There’s lots of good things about the world. “It’s almost like you can’t just be a band anymore. You’re expected to take an angle. I’m not that keen on the literal protest song because it’s so difficult to get right without it becoming a cringe-fest or a sledgehammer. I dig the idea of just getting on with your own vision. The Go! Team has always had this slight utopian vision to it – it’s not literally like my life is, but how I’m imagining what I would like it to be.” As mission statements go, that’s a pretty damn good one. Semicircle is released on 19 Jan via Memphis Industries The Go! Team play Òran Mór, Glasgow, 9 Feb thegoteam.co.uk

Photo: Annick Wolfers

Interview: Chris McCall

Music

Feature

War is the Real Villain Ahead of the Scottish premiere of an acclaimed new production of the West End smash musical Miss Saigon, The Skinny travels to Dublin to meet two of the show’s stars and discuss its legacy and controversies

he Vietnam War (or the American War if you’re in Vietnam) may not initially seem like the ideal vehicle for a rousing musical number, but for Claude-Michel SchÖnberg and Alain Boublil, the creators of Les Misérables, it most certainly did. The resulting musical, Miss Saigon, premiered in 1989 and remains one of Broadway’s longest running shows; prior to the 2014 London revival it set a world record for opening day ticket sales, exceeding £4 million. Closely modelled on Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, the show takes the enduring tale of East meets West, boy meets girl, and transports it to the last few days of the war in Vietnam. Chris, an American GI, falls head over heels for a Vietnamese virgin named Kim, who works in a bar and brothel called Dreamland. This multimillion revival, produced by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, lands in Edinburgh later this month. And, as cast members are keen to emphasise, this is definitely not a scaled down version of the Broadway show; it is exactly the same gargantuan production. It takes 16 trucks, each 45 feet long, to transport this beast from venue to venue, to say nothing of the human effort involved. It is spectacle on a grand scale. For anyone who knows Miss Saigon as ‘the musical with the helicopter’ (spoiler), this version does not disappoint on that front.

together into this big family,” he explains. It’s clear that the cast are doing their best to distance themselves from the show’s racially questionable origins. Red Concepción, who now plays The Engineer, highlights the changes that have been made to some of the songs. The wedding song, for example, now contains Vietnamese lyrics, rather than the gibberish that was originally written into the scene. Both Concepción and Gilmour also discuss at length the relevance of the show to the contemporary moment. Says Gilmour, “One of the key themes is war, and families being torn apart, and relationships being torn apart, and that’s happening all over the world. When we stage it and when we choreograph it, it is exclusively about those times. But it makes it really nice for us to tell that story when we know that it’s sending a message that is really important in today’s society. Although it’s about the Vietnam war, it’s relevant to everything.” Concepción concurs, “Everyone in the cast is in agreement that it’s very important that this is being done now, considering the political climate.” It is clear that for this team, Miss Saigon is a challenging piece of theatre, speaking to current global politics, the refugee crisis, and, although unnamed, even Donald Trump. The performances from the cast are near

faultless and the commitment to the piece radiates from everyone on stage. The flashy spectacle is also, as Gilmour says, “more like a gritty sort of film” than most musicals (the ones not produced by Mackintosh, at least). But it can be difficult to shake the feeling that, rather than being ‘real’, this show follows a recognisable pattern, one where the Asian characters are victims, and (while the Americans may be hapless) they still mean well. The Engineer’s showstopper number may gesture towards the damaging fallacy of the ‘American Dream’ (the song’s title), but the show’s climax, which sees Kim make the ultimate sacrifice in order to get her child into the ‘safe embrace’ of the US, romanticises transnational adoption, reaffirming the idea that the West is a better mother to a child than its own. At its heart, this is a white saviour narrative. A titillating one at that. Both Concepción and Gilmour seem highly attuned to the issue of Western cultural stereotyping. Concepción speaks candidly about the West’s misapprehension of strength in Asian cultures: “As a South East Asian, I think we define strength in a different way. The Western definition of strength is more active, it’s proactivity. I think one of the things people don’t realise is that for a South East Asian, it’s fortitude. It’s endurance.” Concepción picks out Kim’s sacrifice as an

Interview: Eloise Hendy

example of a mother who “will do everything that she possibly can, with the limited resources she has,” and the sex workers at Dreamland as an example of “quiet strength.” He feels Miss Saigon “does not shy away” from showing the repercussions of war on women’s lives and bodies, and does not offer viewers an easy time. “I don’t think art should be comfortable,” says Concepción. “If it’s comfortable, then it’s just entertainment and it doesn’t hold anything socially or culturally significant.” In this particular performance in Dublin, cheers and whoops emanate from sections of the audience during scenes where the Dreamland girls dance in bikinis, and there are audible howls of laughter at cross-dressing sex workers in Bangkok. The cast may hope that this is a discomforted reaction to challenging art, but it is difficult to ignore the titilation individuals are drawing from the female body. This revival does almost all it can to pose itself as a discomforting take on war, and it is at times uncomfortable viewing. However, the standing ovation and sobs from parts of the auditorium at the conclusion suggest that this production will continue to be a smash hit for years to come. Miss Saigon, The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 17 Jan - 17 Feb, tickets: edtheatres.com/misssaigon

“ The Western definition of strength is more active, it’s proactivity. I think one of the things people don’t realise is that for a South East Asian, it’s fortitude. It’s endurance” Red Concepción

Feature

Photo: Matthew Murphy

The show is not without controversy; it’s rare to find a review that doesn’t mention the storm of criticism sparked by the original production’s decision to cast Jonathan Pryce, a white English actor – in facial prosthetics and make-up to alter his skin colour – to play the show’s Vietnamese villain, The Engineer. This ‘yellow-face’ controversy has, understandably, dogged the show ever since. However, this revival has made a number of changes that aim to lay that problematic history to rest. From the Bord Gais Energy Theatre Dublin, where we meet to discuss the show, Ashley Gilmour, who plays Chris, stresses that all the Vietnamese roles are now “...played by Asian people.” He comments on how the industry has changed, with producers and casting directors now “...giving much more opportunity to different ethnic backgrounds.” In his view, Miss Saigon, while initially divisive, now unifies everyone involved. “What the show does is it bring loads of different cultures

THEATRE

THE SKINNY

January 2018

THE SKINNY

Warring Emotions Richard Linklater is back with another left-turn: a low-key road movie starring Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne that’s a kind-of sequel to Hal Ashbey’s Last Detail. We speak to this most mercurial of filmmakers

ichard Linklater’s last film, Everybody Wants Some!!, earned its double exclamation marks as a joyful sojourn back to 1980, where the director drew on his own college years for a tale about the optimism of youth. He prodded, poked and made fun of male hubris, and as a result the all-American jock had never been more endearing. His latest film, Last Flag Flying, couldn’t be more starkly different. It’s about being middleaged, it’s more sober, although it’s still full of the trademark comic motifs that we have come to expect from the director who shot to fame with Dazed and Confused back in the early 90s. Last Flag Flying is based on the novel by Darryl Ponicsan, who also wrote The Last Detail. When news of this project initially broke, some thought perhaps that Linklater’s film was a direct sequel to Hal Ashby’s much-loved 1973 adaptation of Ponicsan’s book. They were wrong. “When we did a test screening and asked how many people had seen The Last Detail it was like 6%; it is surprising how few people have seen that movie,” explains Linklater, who wishes the press hadn’t made the comparison. Linklater’s film takes place in 2003 during the Iraq War, in an America still smarting from 9/11, with anxiety high. At the centre of the film is Doc (Steve Carell), a Vietnam veteran who was dishonourably discharged and now lives alone in New Hampshire. Alone, because not only has his wife passed away, he’s now also lost his only son who was killed in action during an ambush in Baghdad while serving in the Marine corps. This death prompts Doc to go in search of his old war buddies to help him transport his son’s body home where he can be finally laid to rest. The first is Sal (Bryan Cranston), a surly barkeep who exists on cold pizza and beer. He’s happy to see his ol’ pal and do whatever is asked of him. Then

January 2018

there is Mueller (Laurence Fishburne), now the Reverend Richard Mueller, who’s less happy to see his one-time war buds. While Everybody Wants Some!! and Last Flag Flying are different tonally, it’s easy to find the thematic strands that link them. “They’re the same,” begins Linklater, who still at the age of 57 looks as young as ever, although jet-lag, he explains, hits him harder these days. “Guys find groups and missions to go on; I think we are tribal, pack animals. Men look for those things that bond them together.” Linklater is in London discussing his new movie ahead of its UK premiere at London Film Festival, and any signs of wear from his transatlantic flight aren’t showing. He describes Last Flag Flying as his take on the war film, or as he puts it, “It’s kind of a PTSD movie.” There are no big action sequences, guns are only viewed fleetingly. His interest isn’t in the violence and action of war, it’s in the aftermath, the cost, and how people learn to cope after the guns have been laid down and they have to fly home. “For me it was about capturing that post 9/11 atmosphere in the US,” says Linklater. He is keenly aware of the lies that were sold to the people of the US and UK to justify the war, and with Last Flag Flying he creates an atmosphere of reflection, where the pain and confusion is raw. This is balanced with the comedy and warmth of watching three old friends reunited, even if it is for a tragic reason. Linklater wrote the first draft of the script back in the mid 2000s, but he couldn’t get it made. “The war was still something of an open wound, it was too painful back then,” he explains. “I think there is a delay mechanism about wars, some cultures are able to look at it earlier than others. I think there has been a good reassessment of the second Iraq War. Even the Republicans

had a debate where they asked all the candidates whether or not the Iraq War was a mistake.” Not unlike the lackadaisical philosophical muses that pepper his beloved Before Trilogy, Linklater gives his characters in Last Flag Flying meandering speeches where they reflect on life past and present. Often, Doc, Sal and Mueller tell war stories, or discuss where they have been all these years, but above all talk how they learned to cope.

“ Guys find groups and missions to go on; I think we are tribal, pack animals” Richard Linklater

Linklater lands on the word medication. Each of his characters medicates in different ways: Mueller with religion, Sal with booze, and Doc with a family life – until it is cruelly robbed from him. “Mueller’s belief system is his medication and it worked for him, but is it any more truthful than Sal’s? Everyone has got their own way of dealing with life,” explains Linklater. He adds, with a wry smile, “Life tends to just kick the shit out of you, and it is how you respond that defines you.” Linklater explains that he wanted to make sure Last Flag Flying honoured the military, not because he’s pro-war – far from it – but to honour

FILM

Interview: Joseph Walsh

those who served. “I really don’t know the fruit salad insignia on the jackets, or anchors up, anchors down. I had to ask what it all meant,” he jokes, becoming more serious when he adds, “and I want veterans to know that I did everything I could to get it right. I wanted it to be authentic.” We come back to the subject of war, and whether he feels America is in a better situation now. While he accepts that generally people are able to separate the troops from the mission, he seems resigned to the fact that war is an inevitable part of society, however anti-war he may be. “Early on, I was playing around with movie titles,” he explains. “One was The Lies that Bind – it was never, ever going to be called that, but those words crossed my mind.” It would have been an apt, if somewhat clunky title. Before we get a chance to ask another question, he says, “groups, countries, tribes, the world – we have to have these fictions, myths and lies that we live by, or bind us. It’s hard to keep millions of people on the same page. Countries don’t want to deal with their past; individuals don’t want to deal with their past. Wars and histories are rewritten instantly and constantly, among society and individuals.” We ask how the movie has been received in the US. He laughs and recalls that one right wing periodical praised him for “getting the military stuff right,” despite the fact he is a “red state liberal.’” He jokes they are probably softer on him for being a Texan. “I think the film is more uniting than dividing,” he adds. “The support from the military and the veterans has been really positive. I think it is because it focuses on people. Most war movies have other things going on – the battle, the strategies. This is just hanging out with the guys.” Released 26 Jan by Curzon Artificial Eye

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Mike White on Brad’s Status Writer-director Mike White's new film Brad’s Status, star Ben Stiller playing a man intimidated by his peers’ success. We chat about White's eclectic career, working in the Hollywood sausage factory and the aspect of directing he likes least

ike White tends to make films about life’s outsiders. In his 2000 breakthrough Chuck & Buck, which he wrote for director Miguel Arteta, White played a childlike, unstable character awkwardly attempting to insinuate himself into the life of his onetime best friend, and this year the same pair collaborated on Beatriz at Dinner, in which a Mexican immigrant prompted some tense confrontations at a wealthy American family’s gathering. If you asked Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller), the protagonist of White’s new film Brad’s Status, he’d surely tell you that he’s an outsider too, although that’s not how anybody in the audience will view him. Brad has a good job, a loving wife (Jenna Fischer), a handsome home in Sacramento and a talented son who is likely to be accepted by Harvard. Brad’s life, by any measure, is comfortable and enviable – any measure, that is, except his own. Brad’s dissatisfaction springs from the fact that his contemporaries at college have all achieved incredible levels of wealth and fame, dwarfing his own modest achievements, and Brad is plagued by the feeling that he somehow has been left behind. “I think that’s very true to life. Most people see themselves as the underdog in their own story,” White tells The Skinny over the phone from his home in California. “I think we project on to other people who we see as having more advantages, but when you actually get inside their heads they don’t see it the same way. I think Brad is obviously reduced to that feeling, he’s kind of monomaniacal throughout the movie about feeling this sense of being put-upon or an outsider, but I think that’s something that is universal. There are a lot of rich, white men who run companies and see themselves as coming up against all odds and still striving, and from another perspective we’d think they have everything. I think it just all depends on where you stand.”

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It’s a tricky line that White is walking here. By putting us inside Brad’s head – complete with a constant self-pitying narration – he risks being accused of indulging the blinkered whining of a privileged white man, although his screenplay is a lot more nuanced and questioning than that. “I kind of wanted to explore the psyche of someone who is a man and is dealing with masculinity and its discontents, but I was trying to come at it not only in a satirical way but in a way that had some compassion for him,” he explains. “It’s about his privilege issues but also I can relate and I see it in my world a lot, and it’s something that I think is worth considering.” Crucially, White gives us an external perspective on Brad’s behaviour through his son Troy (Austin Abrams) and Troy’s friend Anyana (Shazi Raja), both of whom highlight the absurdity of his complaints. “I thought it would be interesting to have the wisdom coming from the youth, giving his son and his son’s friends some perspective that he doesn’t have, and I also think that’s more true to life in some ways,” he says. “I think in one way you have the ability to get wiser as you get older, but when it comes to your identity and stuff, I don’t know, people paint themselves into corners psychologically and it’s hard not to get beaten down by life in a lot of ways. I often see it with my peers. When you’re young you have a certain kind of hope and idealism, and things don’t always pan out as you’d hoped.” Another key factor in the film’s success is the casting of Ben Stiller, from whom White draws a superb performance. Brad Sloan is the kind of neurotic, on-the-edge character that’s very much within his range (in fact, Brad’s frequent lapses into imaginative reverie recall Stiller's own directorial project The Secret Life of Walter Mitty from 2014), but here it is augmented with a deeper and more complex emotional make-up. “I do think he has trafficked in this and part of me was wondering if

that is an issue,” White admits. “But I came down on the side that it might be more interesting, because for me the movie does have parallels to Walter Mitty, but it’s the hyper-specific version. I got excited about the idea of doing something that seemed like a familiar Ben Stiller movie, but by making it more low-frequency and nuanced, certain colours and tones would come out that might be unexpected.”

“ When you’re young you have a certain kind hope and idealism, and things don’t always pan out as you’d hoped” Mike White

It’s an unfortunate truth that Brad’s Status is likely to draw a smaller audience than the average Ben Stiller movie, but White has occasionally found his sensibilities chiming with mainstream audiences over the years. “There was a time around doing School of Rock when I thought I could maybe dovetail my own sensibility with something that was a bigger studio type of thing, but I think it’s harder than ever to make original movies in that space. It’s all franchises and intellectual properties where you have to come in and dance for The Man,” he says. In fact, White did a little dancing in that environment earlier this year, earning a

FILM

Interview: Philip Concannon

writing credit on the much-derided family animation The Emoji Movie. “I worked on The Emoji Movie for just three weeks, and I’m not exactly sure how I got credit on it,” he says with a laugh. The experience did give him an insight into a whole other world of filmmaking, however. “You see how the sausage is made, I guess, and you’re actually part of the sausage. It’s obviously not Mike White’s Emoji Movie – and it’s not even the director’s Emoji Movie, to be honest – it’s Sony’s Emoji Movie. I think there’s a desire for some kind of authorial ownership, whether it’s a writer or director, but that’s just a perception of the public or film writers. Studio movies have become so expensive and there are so many people being a part of the process, that at some point you don’t even know who deserves the credit or the blame for any of it, you know what I mean? It just feels like its own kind of weird beast.” White is on much firmer ground in the world of independent film and in television, where he co-wrote all 18 episodes of the Golden Globewinning series Enlightened for HBO. White also directed a number of episodes in that show’s run, but it’s perhaps a little surprising that Brad’s Status marks his first time behind the camera for a feature since 2007’s Year of the Dog. His direction is measured and sensitive, and perfectly in tune with his own perceptive writing, so one hopes it won’t be another decade before we see him directing again. White himself doesn’t seem so sure. “To be honest, I’m a writer by nature and I really don’t like to be in charge of a lot of people, so the managerial aspects of directing take a lot out of me, but I feel like if the elements all line up in a way that seems like I can have a good time doing it, I’ll think, ‘Yeah, let’s try it,’” he says. “But then when I’m done I’m like, ‘OK, I’d like to go back to the writer’s life for a while.’” Brad’s Status is released 5 Jan by Vertigo

THE SKINNY

Rediscovering The Lover

Fleur Darkin

raditionally, January is a quiet time in the theatre calendar, one where venues, companies and actors are either recovering from panto season, or gallantly still performing in them until the end of the month. However, this month, the Lyceum is hosting a series of firsts. For The Lover, the theatre’s first show of the new season is not only a world premiere, but also the first co-production between the Lyceum, Scottish Dance Theatre and Stellar Quines. Additionally, it also marks the very first time that two of Scotland’s leading female artistic directors, Jemima Levick and Fleur Darkin have worked together. Adapted from Marguerite Duras’ 1984 autobiographical novel of the same name, (as well as her later work, The North China Lover, published in 1991), the play tells the story of Duras’ teenage love affair with an older man, as well as her childhood in early 20th century Vietnam – then known as French Indochina – where she was born and raised. The plot of the book, although seemingly the tale of a youthful love affair, soon proves to be rich with diverse and important themes. “It’s from the perspective of a 15-year-old girl looking out, having grown up there, having been born there, she has a sensitivity to the different hierarchy,” explains Darkin. “...and the problems of colonialism; she is herself a victim of colonialism, as the country is.” Although Duras’ relationship with an older man forms the basis of the book, it’s clear that she was not the teenage victim of an older, predatory man, but the complete opposite. “We’ve just started to touch on this, right in the early days,” explains Levick of Duras and her role within her relationship.

January 2018

Photo: Viktoria Begg

Ahead of its world premiere later this month, The Skinny talks to the directors of The Lover, the first stage adaptation of Marguerite Duras' classic autobiographical novel about the book, the play and the coincidences that led to its premiere

Jemima Levick

“She’s the one who makes the decisions, she realises very early in this relationship that she’s the one that’s gonna make it happen, she’s the one that’s gonna undress him. She’s 15, but she’s in charge of her own destiny, in that way that you are when you’re 15, arguably, you don’t know who you are yet, but you’re also really empowered.”

“ How often do we talk about young women having sex and discovering themselves? Or we do it through the lens of a man, and a man tells us it” Jemima Levick

“I feel like she’s heroic,” explains Darkin. “I feel like the story’s heroic, and all the people in it are trapped by infallible problems. They’re heroes, not Capital H heroes, but vulnerable heroes; but again, that feels like it’s great to give our attention to that.” The original source material, which Levick

describes as “fucking poetry”, talks about familiar topics that are still somehow considered taboo, such as women’s sexuality, in a bold new way. This was exceptional for a book published in 1984, and yet, three decades later, this topic has rarely appeared in literature since, let alone on stage in Scotland. “She writes about sexuality and the discovery of your sexual self. I mean, how often do we talk about young women having sex and discovering themselves? Or we do it through the lens of a man, and a man tells us it,” explains Levick. “This woman, she reveals all the inadequacies that come with it. Yes, the pleasure, but also that journey through virginity and to pleasure. We’re not good at talking about that, women at any age, but particularly young women and for older women as well. “She talks about love in every way that you ever thought possible. There’s sexual, and first love, and then there’s familial, and the complications and contradictions thaT live in and amongst those thing,” she continues. The book’s subject also gave Duras and the reader the chance to return to the memories of their adolescence and look at them in a new way, through the lens of an older, more experienced person, and begin to consider memory differently, according to Levick. “What she does with this particular novel is the chance for an older person to look back at her younger self. Wouldn’t we all love to do that a little bit? Well, yes and no, but you know, she gives us a chance to reflect back and look at the extraordinariness of youth and beginnings of things. What maturity and experience does to the way

THEATRE

Interview: Amy Taylor

you think, and your psyche and how you’re able to look back at those experiences, so the complexity of it is incredibly rich.” “You get this really delicious slippage,” continues Darkin of the book’s narrative. “Where you find her own uncertainty and how unreliable memory is, and how unreliable the stories we tell ourselves are about how we feel. It seems like a really strong experience that is inspiring on lots of levels: being a girl, growing into a woman, age, the contradictions of colonialism and how people are separated, the fictions of colonialism. She just seems to undercut it all, she was really wise company.” The play’s premiere this month marks the next stage in a project that was seven years in the making, having been dreamed up during a conversation between Levick and Darkia in 2010, where they both expressed an interest in adapting the book for the stage. However, it wasn’t until a few years later, after David Greig’s appointment as the new Artistic Director at the Lyceum that the project was pitched, and a number of coincidences, which makes it feel like the play was meant to premiere in Edinburgh, were uncovered. “It [The Lover] was the first adaptation he did as a student,” explains Levick of Greig’s connection to the text. But remarkably, the coincidences don’t end there, as Edinburgh just so happens to be home to the daughter of the late Barbara Bray, who was the principal translator of the book into English, as well as a champion of the work and friend to Duras. “I think there is this quite strong, quite interesting connection between France and Scotland, The Auld Alliance, isn’t it? It seems random, doesn’t it, that Barbara Bray’s daughter’s here, there’s this sensibility...” says Darkin of the historical ties between Scotland and France, “...and there does seem to be this shared affinity that I don’t know the history of, but I think both countries are artisans, with a real commitment to art and the ideals of art, so that feels really nice.” Coincidences aside, one of the strengths of the play, which doesn’t immediately seem apparent, is the timing. The play is the Lyceum’s first production of the new year, and one of two plays in Edinburgh to feature Vietnam at the same time (Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of Miss Saigon opens at the Festival Theatre within a few days of The Lover’s premiere). But the location and its premiere in January is a key part of the play’s appeal, explains Darkin. “Especially for us, in January, sat in the Lyceum, there’s summer out there, even if we’re all dying in winter. Things are dying to be born again, so hopefully there is this energy in it, this change, because a lot of change happens to her and all of us watching it.” The notion of Vietnam being an important character, especially for an audience in Scotland in the darkest parts of winter, isn’t lost on Levick either. “And certainly for me, the idea of coming in as an audience, and investing in this boiling hot world that’s a million miles away, that couldn’t be more delicious a thought when it’s freezing outside. You’ve spent all your money, Christmas is done, the lights have come down, the snow outside is melting. To transport people to another world completely is a really luscious thing to do at that time of year, and you need it, you really need to be thinking of the other, otherwise January is the most depressing month of all.” The Lover, The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, 20 Jan-3 Feb lyceum.org.uk/whats-on/production/the-lover

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Ben Soedira

en Soedira’s Foreign Sands is an exploration into what constitutes ‘home.’ Having lived in a country foreign to his parents’ background, Soedira has been surrounded by the modernisation of culture and people. This photographic body of work uses the metaphor of the landscape to visually express the growth and development through which people have influenced a city, in this case Dubai. This is a city purely built on foreign elements, from imported sand to manipulating its own natural resources in order to seamlessly make the impossible. Dubai became the perfect subject to speak about globalisation issues along with a contemporary world. The photographic body displays metaphors that subtly show this, through images of clothing that blend within the natural landscape, to the growing community of Kushti wrestlers fighting for a piece of home. Images of sand and dust speak about the desert and its ever-shifting landscape much like Dubai itself. Dubai becomes a reflection of a globalised society, a place that has become influenced and built up on foreign cultures. What can only be described as ‘urban amnesia’ occurs; as the city begins to rapidly move forward we begin to forget what is truly important – the people that have shifted

the direction and meaning of home, by creating their very own communities and life that remain with them despite the city’s movement. For Soedira this poses a question on what he constitutes as home and identity. “Dubai is home for me despite it officially on paper being Glasgow; the work visually in many people’s eyes may seem quite foreign. However I do feel like everyone can relate to it in some way, as we more and more begin to question our identity daily. Our access to the world becomes easier and we dream of moving away to set up home somewhere else, leading us to question, where am I from? And what truly is home for me? And with a city changing daily I struggle to recognise and associate myself with a place, a place where I feel strangely foreign but at the same time very comfortable. Yet, with all this in motion it excites me to see my home shift and expand in new directions; a place that allows all cultures and nationalities to embody something from their own motherland to this new home.” Ben Soedira graduated from GSA Fine Art Photography in 2017. His work is currently on display in Futureproof 2017, Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow, until 4 February Instagram: @bensoedira | ben-soedira.format.com

SHOWCASE

THE SKINNY

January 2017

SHOWCASE

Dear Diary - 2018's Visual Art Highlights

Photo: Jonathan Basset

The new year brings a new Glasgow International with a cyborg theme, as well as Collective’s muchanticipated new Observatory gallery, plus new exhibitions, projects and curatorial enterprises across Scotland

Shonky

018’s visual art schedule for Scotland is already looking jam-packed – and these are just the events that have already been announced. We’ve not even got to Edinburgh Art Festival, or long term programming for most of the artist-run galleries. Here are a few of our highlights for the year ahead, as usual check back in the monthly print for our updated exhibition guides, and head to the website for the revamped Art News, now featuring funding and learning opportunities galore. Glasgow exhibition highlights 2018 Beginning the new year in the Centre for Contemporary Art, there is the remaining run of a three-person show (Sarah Rose, Susannah Stark, Hanna Tuulikki – Lilt, Twang, Tremor until 14 Jan) examining the politics and production of voice. As the CCA’s first new show of the year, Rehana Zaman presents Speaking Nearby (10 Feb-25 Mar), which will bring together the TV soap, a cooking demo, humour, Prevent legislation and general state surveillance. Following Zaman, from 19 April-3 June Ross Birrell will exhibit a film work combining the cityscape of New York with myth and certain notable breeds of horse, that are now in decline. Then from 16 June-29 July, there’s experimental architecture from Jonas Staal, who creates new parliaments in alternative spaces for stateless and blacklisted political organisations around the world. Later, from 11 August-16 September, there’s an exhibition on the enigmatic Czech new wave filmmaker Ester Krumbachová, who was blacklisted following Soviet ‘normalisation’. For their first event of the year, on 13 January Tramway will host a performance of renowned choreographer Pina Bausch’s work The Nelken Line. They then show Glasgow painting legend Steven Campbell’s experimental collage works (20 Jan - 25 Mar). Then from 16 February-18 March, Tramway present a survey of the acclaimed Glasgow-based artist and filmmaker Margaret Salmon.

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In Platform, until 11 February they begin the year with the continuing exhibition of Helen De Main’s huge locally-based project and large-scale prints of the participants in her consciousnessraising group which ran from the venue during 2016-17. As part of Glasgow International (GI), artist Jessica Ramm turns her attention to work and domestic spaces as part of an installation, while the curatorial project Love Unlimited arrange artists around and inside Platform’s public pool. They also host the project of artists Janie Nicoll and Ailie Rutherford, who are currently conducting research into the unpaid labour that sustains Glasgow International itself (27 Apr-2 May). On a different note, there will be a screening in Platform of a film by Henry Coombes titled Love and Lithium. In this, he follows the life of a 68-year-old larger than life Glaswegian (28-29 April).

“ Collective will unveil ‘a new kind of city observatory’” GSA Exhibitions begin the year with a collaboration between their students and the National Institute of Fashion and Textiles in Gandhinagar, then events and talks on the topic of art professionalism and an attendant exhaustion. There is then a major Glasgow International exhibition in April featuring the work of innovative DIY/digital artist Torsten Lauschmann. They also feature works and projects from artists and researchers working within the School, including critic Bruce Peter’s collection of materials and information on the last great Clyde-built passenger liner, the QE2 (10 Feb-4 Mar), and artist Susanne Nørregård

Nielsen’s playful interdisciplinary work that responds to ideas of design from a 1920s text on decorative design by a Zurich-based teacher of Design and Embroidery in late spring. Later in the year from June to August, there are also projects on the ‘bestial, existential and instinctual side of our political and civic life,’ as well as showing a collection of posters from the GSA Film Club that ran during the 70s-90s in September. In December they close the year with a study on the medical ultrasound from a Product Design standpoint, followed by the recipient of the Steven Campbell New York Scholarship, painter Claire Paterson. For Glasgow’s Mary Mary, which has recently moved to a new space on 51 Oswald Street, painter Jonathan Gardner is their first programmed artist of the year. Gardner works with reference to several points of 20th century art history, namely Pablo Picasso, Surrealist René Magritte and a casual everyday tone that’s often in the work of prolific and experimental American portraitist Alex Katz. For Glasgow International, Mary Mary then present the New York-based artist Rose Marcus, whose large form photographic works – usually based on the spaces of NYC – often have the unconventional composition and sometimes blurred look of accidentally taken photographs. During September (dates TBA), the gallery then shows sculptor Ektor Garcia, who combines traditional Mexican craft elements and techniques with found objects into altar-like arrangements or talismans, ‘referencing eroticism, power, borderlines, survival, resistance and desire.’ Finally, in November, artist Amanda Ross-Ho returns to Glasgow following this year’s successful show in Tramway, using elements of scale and garment-making to consider economic production, overlooked labour and industrial time. For Transmission in Glasgow, February to March brings artist Delaine Le Bas, whose work begins from the Traveller experience, and works with the culture and often disturbing effaced histories of regulation and control of Romany popu-

ART

Words: Adam Benmakhlouf

Spite Your Face, Rachel Maclean

lations. For Glasgow International, Transmission present iQhiya, a South African-based collective of young black women artists, a group that arose from ‘conversations… around colonial institutional spaces, art, history and politics, resulting ultimately in a shared project of communal creative support.’ There will also be an open call to the gallery’s members to show work in the space during the summer, followed by a Scottish solo show by Edinburgh-based painter, Rabiya Choudhry, whose bright and graphic paintings combine references to pop culture, nostalgia, personal histories, surreal narrative snapshots and imaginary characters. Queens Park Railway Club have one exhibition in place so far for 2018, by the Glasgowbased painter Michael Fullerton, who combines critical historical portraiture with material experimentation. For David Dale’s 2018 schedule, they’ve already plotted in two solo shows. One is by Lithuaniabased sculptor Augustas Serapinas for Glasgow International from 20 April-19 May, whose works often intermingle with the social and work relations of the spaces in which he exhibits. Later, from 16 June-14 July, there is an exhibition from painter Stephanie Hier, who combines sublime landscapes and cartoon representations of animals and food. Continuing its programme of contemporary art exhibitions, House for an art Lover opens 2018 with a continuing exhibition (until 4 March) of drawings and sculpture of Objects of Celebration by Claire Heminsley. Then from 10 March- 9 April they present the works of Ross Hamilton Frew, who works across collage, drawing and pulped paper works to ‘blur the line between the handmade and machine made.’ For Glasgow International, they have programmed a two-person project between photographer Tine Bek and sculptor Paul Deslandes, with the working title of Ility (20 Apr-8 May). Later in House for an art Lover, they present Lesley Punton from 26 May-16 July. In her practice, Punton combines drawing,

THE SKINNY

printmaking and text in an enquiry into Scottish landscape. After Punton’s exhibition, House for An Art Lover will then have a group show, followed by a showcase of the artist Ronnie Forbes’ idiosyncratic and imaginative paintings and films. In Telfer Gallery, Leontios Toumpouris presents the outcome of his research which has looked in part into alchemy, and its relations to bodily chemistry and film stock. Then for Glasgow International, the performance-based artist Carrie Skinner will present a new exhibition of work. Still in Glasgow, 16 Nicholson Street begin the year with the second edition of their mentorship programme, Atelier Monday. They are then the site for the project Girlz Club, a performancebased group show. Further into the year, they will present an exhibition themed around the history and myth of the Titanic. For the Modern Institute, 2018 brings five new exhibitions that have been planned so far. Walter Price begins their year with his gestural, semi-abstract and evocative small painted works. There is then a project with Glasgow-based artistcuratorial team Thank You Very Much. For Glasgow International, The Modern Institute will present the work of Duggie Fields, whose career spans the 60s until the present and several art historical movements. Running at the same time, there is an exhibition by New York-based artist Urs Fischer who creates large-scale installation and sculptures referencing genres traditionally evoked in painting – portraits, landscapes, nudes and still lifes. Also during GI, the gallery will present the uncanny and surreal works of the painter Nicolas Party. Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow have many gallery and off-site projects planned for the year ahead that look variously to Argentine human rights protests (Marcelo Brodsky, The Fire of Ideas, 10 Feb-7 Apr), intimate personal relationships (James Pfaff, Alex and Me, 19 Apr-1 Jul) and site specific historical enquiry (Britannia Panopticon, La Nuit de l’Instant, from 26 Apr, and Steven Berkoff, The Gorbals and London’s East End, 23 Jun-26 Aug). There are also more internationally oriented exhibitions, including Lightwaves from 1 September-5 November, whose themes revolve around heritage and migration, and several more local-specific Street Level off-site projects around Scotland. While details for Glasgow International have been included throughout this round-up, at the centre of the festival is a large group show in the Gallery of Modern Art, curated by the Director Richard Parry. This exhibition themes itself around the cyborg, artificial intelligence and avatars, and combines local and international artists with practices that correspond to these ideas. In the Civic Room on Glasgow’s High Street, several projects are planned for the next few months. From 2-18 March, artist Kate McMillan imagines women’s histories in response to the general historical effacement of the feminine. Then for Glasgow International (20 Apr-7 May) there is a group show of Glasgow-based practitioners that bring to the foreground multi-layered connections between the Civic Room’s architectural, historical, economic and political landscape. Continuing to work site-specifically, the next exhibition (by Lauren Printy Currie) also takes as its inspiration the architectural and historical context of the gallery as the basis of new sculpture, sound and installation works. In the WASPS Briggait exhibition space, several projects featuring recent residents are planned for the year to come. These include textile artist Louise Barrington’s abstract responses to memories of landscape, set into a dramatically lit installation (5-23 Feb). Then there is printmaker Jo Ganter, who works experimentally with

January 2018

photographic etchings and digital prints, questioning presumptions and conventions of human presence. For the Glasgow International Festival, WASPS Briggait will show the work of Nadia Myre, who employs collaborative processes as a strategy for engaging in conversations about identity, resilience and politics of belonging (20 Apr-7 May). At the same time, there is a parallel presentation by interdisciplinary artist Deniz Uster, whose social practice is rooted in anthropological and ethnographic research, interwoven with science fiction – also during GI, 20 April-7 May. For Many Studios, there are three important upcoming projects planned. The first is a visual response to a new album (entitled Gold) by local Glasgow-based Ghanaian musician Kobi Onyame, (2Mar-1Apr). Then from 19 April-27 May, they will host sorryifyoufeel-uncomfortable, a Londonbased group of thinkers, makers and activists using art practice to interrogate dominant social discourses and structures, as well considering identity, race and legacy. Into the summer, an exhibition is being planned with Glasgow-based artist, programmer and writer Alberta Whittle, whose work is informed by diasporic conversation and working collectively towards radical love. Edinburgh exhibition highlights 2018 In the Fruitmarket’s first new exhibition of 2018, and for the second time in just over a year in Scotland, the radical and long-underappreciated work of Lee Lozano receives attention (3 Mar-3 Jun). The rest of Fruitmarket’s year as planned will be given to two further major solo exhibitions, the first by well-respected experimental film and performance artist Tacita Dean (30 Jun-30 Sep), followed by emergent clay and ceramic artist Emma Hart (26 Oct-27 Jan 2019). The spring exhibition in Collective Gallery acts as an important moment for the organisation as they move back into the Observatory after a long period of refurbishment. Collective will unveil a new kind of city observatory, restored from the original design from 1818. 2018 will also bring the first Scottish outing of now internationally-renowned artist Rachel Maclean’s Venice Biennale presentation, Spite Your Face from 24 February-5 May in Talbot Rice Gallery. Maclean’s film installation acerbically and darkly addresses the underlying fears and desires that characterise the contemporary zeitgeist. In Edinburgh’s Dovecot, from 2 February until 7 March, they will showcase a new tapestry by Garry Fabian Miller, who fuses the craft ethos of weaving with the possibilities of digital printing. There are then two projects that turn attention to their own site, a precious bath house, Baths to Bobbins (from 29 Mar) and an exhibition by fine art photographer David Penny (25 May to 11 Jul). 2018 in the National Galleries ranges from the art historically iconic painter Rembrandt, to 19th and 20th century greats, including the colourful and soulful paintings of Emil Nolde, along with Toulouse-Lautrec, the artist that documented across his prints, drawings and paintings the Parisian milieu that surrounded the Moulin Rouge. Also on the roster is an exhibition of artists that is themed around the monumental and bodily paintings of renowned contemporary painter, Jenny Saville. Photographer Jannica Honey is the main show planned so far for Arusha Gallery in Edinburgh. She has created a new body of images that depict women at twilight in natural landscapes across Scotland and Sweden (2-25 Mar). The Number Shop will consistently maintain a rhythm of one to two week exhibitions by locally-based emergent artists with one to two weeks in between through the year, with 18

exhibitions in place already. At Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, two micro residents, Valencia-based Aitor Gonzalez and Manchester-based Noel Clueit will each undertake a period of reflection and production within ESW during January. They will then decide their own public events and outcomes nearer the time. During February, Ed Twaddle the winner of the ESW award for the Edinburgh College of Art exhibits the work he has made since September in the gallery. Also during this time, ESW begins its Buenos Aires exchange programme with Scotlandbased artists Scott Rogers and Birthe Jorgensen, who will then exhibit as part of Edinburgh Art Festival in the summer. Later, in June, the ESW Schools Programme puts up its annual exhibition of the works created during its unique nine-month long series of experimental workshops for four local primary 5 classes. Near ESW, staying in Newhaven, there is also the new domestic-cum-gallery space Curfew. After their first successful run of exhibitions in 2017, they promise to continue with a programme of three new shows during 2018 – details TBA. Staying in Edinburgh, Embassy Gallery is putting together its year ahead, beginning with a group show by artists Jessy Jetpacks, William Darrell and Jake Russell, examining the absurdity of meta structures with automated sculpture and dark humour. From 16 February there is their open call member’s performance event. Then between 5-25 March they’re planning a group show again bringing performance to the fore. April brings their Members’ Salon Show. The next month, they’re putting together an offsite project in Pittenweem exploring folk histories, mythologies and body politics. Their Annuale festival returns of its 14th outing – a grassroots festival of contemporary visual art taking place in venues across Edinburgh and online, followed by the annual graduate show in September. Across town, Stills present a touring show of 200 images from the Archive of Modern Conflict, (2 Feb-8 Apr). In the Open Eye Gallery, they continue their 30-odd-year strong routine of holding 32 exhibitions per year, including Scotland’s beloved John Bellany during Edinburgh Art Festival. Dundee and Beyond In DCA, there are two large exhibitions plotted for the rest of their year. One is titled Shonky, the first Scottish outing for the Hayward Curatorial

ART

Open, bringing together a host of artists and architects to explore the nature of visual awkwardness. They then host Eve Fowler, who has worked across various media, using the text and life of Modernist author Gertrude Stein as her subject matter (9 Jun-26 Aug). Generator Projects starts the year with its annual Members Show. In March they welcome Sam Goncalves, a documentary filmmaker who focuses on finding captivating real life stories hidden in mundane and ordinary contexts. Helen Sharp is exhibiting new work in August: a playful exploration of divination and spiritual ritual for modern anxiety expressed through sculpture, installation, collage and occasionally live art. Alongside Helen will be her husband Simon Carmen’s neoteric stone sculptures. In September Generator will host ‘The Public Image’ (Scottish Lady Tiger) to celebrate Scottish writer Muriel Spark’s centenary. Artist Michael Curran has been invited to create an environment for further Spark-themed actions and performances. The Scottish Sculpture Workshop in Aberdeenshire continue to experiment with their public programme this year, alongside their continuing artist residencies. After a successful pilot programme of workshops last year, they build on their programme, from introductory sessions to intensive week-long courses. The guide to the classes they will offer this year is due to be launched in March. Towards the beginning of the year, they will host a series of discussion groups, led by artists Barry Sykes and Mele Broomes, and is the final part by SSW of an EU-wide project on multidisciplinary approaches to art and ecology. Dundee’s Cooper Gallery has some of the first part of the year scheduled already, with Here Was Elsewhere:>>FFWD taking place between 20 January-17 February. This project will be an exhibition of moving image works by 24 artists, presented in weekly rotations and was previously shown in Shanghai as part of CURRENT: Contemporary Art from Scotland. Next, there’s a solo exhibiton by Swedish artist Ingela Ihrman (preview 8 Mar, further dates TBA), whose work combines performance, playful blow-ups of animals and blooming flowers with hobby-like crafting techniques. Keep an eye out too for Aberdeen’s new artistrun committee enterprise Tendency Towards as their programme develops over the year. All dates subject to change, please contact galleries for full details theskinny.co.uk/art

Jonathan Gardner, Salmon Sofa, 2016, Oil on Linen

Feature

Coming Out of The Filing Cabinet A New Year’s resolution to come out to one’s colleages is often easier said than done...

t’s hard to be filled with faith that the year 2018 might be an improvement on 2017 when we’re throat-deep in such global mayhem. Yet, as January rolls around we find ourselves drawn once more to the insidious appeal of the New Year’s resolution. In the face of the political and economic uncertainty, an individual’s capacity to create positive change in their life is an alluring concept. 2018 could be a fresh start. 2018 could be the year of being our best selves. 2018 also marks a significant milestone of which some of us might not be aware. It has now been 15 years since the Employment Equality Regulations Act came into effect, implementing legislation which made it illegal to discriminate against gay or bisexual individuals in the workplace on the basis of their sexuality. This was, undeniably, a big win for the queer community. It marked a point where individuals could openly be out at work, and anyone who gave them a hard time for it would get a big karmic, figurative slap. However spaces completely without homophobia, transphobia or heteronormativity are still hard to come by. It’s not exactly plain sailing for all those LGBTQ+ folks working a 9 to 5. In the spirit of fresh starts, many LGBTQ+ people use the new year as motivation to come out to their colleagues. But often, those same LGBTQ+ folks are left considering whether coming out at work is feasible – or even valuable – as a January resolution. While the quantity of legislation in place, which is meant to protect LGBTQ+ people, has thankfully grown since 2003 (even stretching to acknowledging trans people at times), society and the employers who operate within it should not be patting themselves on the back for a job well done. Far from it: homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are still truly alive and kicking in professional environments. Let’s chat statistics. Stonewall, the Beyoncé of British LGBTQ+ charities, estimates that 2.4 million people witnessed verbal homophobia in the workplace between 2009 and 2014. The British LGBT Awards found that nearly 64% of LGBTQ+

Lifestyle

Words: Megan Wallace Illustration: Ana Jarén

women experienced a negative reaction to their sexuality while at work. A 2016 employment survey by Total Jobs uncovered that 60% of trans employees have experienced workplace discrimination. This same survey shows that 53% of trans individuals felt the need to hide their trans status at work. The internet is saturated with statistics demonstrating how difficult it can be to be LGBTQ+ in a workplace environment. Speaking to LGBTQ+ individuals directly only seems to confirm this. Robert, a gay man in his early twenties who works in the creative industries explains: “For many people, being out in the workplace just isn’t an option. It can potentially damage your standing with colleagues [and] higherups.” He describes how “a colleague drunkenly asked me very indirectly and inappropriately [about my sexual orientation], both trying to tip-toe around the issue and being brazen about the whole thing. It made me feel ogled at and judged, angry and frustrated.”

“ For many people, being out in the workplace just isn’t an option” Laura, also in her twenties, is a trans woman who works in freelance music and music arrangement online. She details how a casually homophobic environment can create fear about coming out: “Overhearing hateful comments about LGBT people from colleagues or higher ups, especially when directed towards other colleagues, is the thing that can really make it difficult to feel accepted enough to come out at work.” It begs the question – why on earth then would anyone want to be out at work if there’s so much at risk? On this particular topic, a lot of indivi-

duals, both cis het and LGBTQ+, dig out the old chestnut that ‘private and professional should be kept separate’. On closer inspection, this oft-cited platitude is alarming. It’s office-speak for “be as queer as you want in your own time, but not in my face.” Not only does it betray a level of discomfort towards LGBTQ+ individuals, it only serves to police the spaces where queerness is ‘appropriate’. It reiterates the assumption that LGBTQ+ identities are not fit for public consumption, advocating that they remain contained in a marginal, non-public role. The decision to come out at work, despite being fraught with potential pitfalls, is a powerful statement against heteronormativity and against the relegation of queer issues and identities to a secondary, marginal plane. However, coming out at work is not just an act of defiance. Rather, it has a pragmatic and practical role to play in improving the working experience for LGBTQ+ individuals. Keeping quiet can result in suspicion and interrogation from the inquisitive and invasive gaze of straightness. Maintaining secrecy can often evolve from games of evasion to actually having to act the role of a straight, cis individual. We all have to don our most professional persona when entering the workplace, but there is a clear distinction between this and between performing the cis het identities most likely to help us fit in. This roleplay leaves LGBTQ+ people feeling on edge; caught between half-truths, white lies and the anxious anticipation of finally being ‘caught out’. Coming out at work isn’t a viable option for everyone, but it is a course of action that could bring real benefits for some LGBTQ+ folks in terms of happiness, wellbeing and even productivity. And, beyond the security and liberation that would result from actively supporting those who choose to come out at work, isn’t it worth considering what actively protecting the autonomy of LGBTQ+ people could do for the workplace as a whole? Breaking the heteronormative, cisnormative default mode can help to sensitise a workplace, making it more aware of differing viewpoints and more inclusive.

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But the burden for creating a more LGBTQ+ inclusive working atmosphere should not fall entirely upon the queer community. If you are actively homophobic, transphobic, biphobic, or use ‘casually’ discriminatory terms, you should make it your NYR to stop. Support and acceptance from the heterosexual, cisgender community can have a real effect on whether individuals feel comfortable enough to be themselves in the wider world. This New Year’s, straight, cis individuals out there should also resolve to be more flexible, more tolerant and more educated on queer issues and perspectives – both in and out of the workplace.

How to Come Out at Work Coming out should only be done when you are really, truly ready. Robert and Laura offer some words of wisdom based on their own experiences of coming out to colleagues. Robert: “I would tell people to be brash and unapologetic, but only if you feel that you can. Don’t jeopardise yourself. At some point in life we’ve all had to do a balancing act of ‘respectability’ and faithfulness to our identity and culture, and it sucks. I’d tell people to trust their gay gut.” Laura: “As obvious as this sounds, my main advice to anybody looking to come out at work would be to come up with a general idea of how you’re going to do it, and have potential contingency plans in place for anything that might go wrong. In general, you probably want to come out to everybody at the same time on your own terms, so that rumours that you don’t have any control of won’t be a problem. If you’re struggling to find the confidence, it can also be very helpful to ask for additional advice on your situation specifically from a colleague you know would be supportive (or has come out at work themselves).”

THE SKINNY

Guilty Pleasures Nostalgic television shows like Friends, The Simpsons and Sex and the City perpetuate stereotypes and contribute to inequality. Why do they get a free pass in modern society? Words: Kate Pasola Illustration: Jacky Sheridan

ne day we’ll be the old people. We’ll talk about memes and young eyes will glaze over. Maybe we’ll grin, reminiscing about yoghurt and our vegan offspring will recoil in horror. Perhaps gender roles will be a distant memory and it’ll seem ludicrous that we pissed in different rooms according to the genitals we were forced to announce on passports. 2017 kink might be 2050 vanilla. Robot consent could exist. With a bit of luck, rape culture will be outlawed, taboo, and an embarrassment of the past. And, when that time comes, we’ll try to pass on the TV and film we enjoyed as young adults and our grandchildren will be mortified. “But that’s just the way it was back then,” we’ll say, hastily muting the telly. But privately it’ll dawn on us: TV was utter trash in the 90s and early 2000s. It’s the circle of life and it makes a joke of us all. One day you’re idealistic snowflake scum, then BOOM, you’re 75 and offensive. Many younger millennials got a taste of this phenomenon on the 9 August 2017, when Claire Willett (aka @kaneandgriffin) wrote an elegant 100-tweet essay about the TV show Friends, entitled In Defense of Rachel and Joey: A Thread. She made a clear and decisive case for why fans of the seminal television programme should reconsider their stance on the show’s most famous storyline of all – the love story of Ross Geller and Rachel Green. According to Willett, Joey Tribbiani was a better match for Rachel. Ross treated her as a prize, relying on admissions of a childhood crush to “claim” her when reintroduced as adults. During their relationship he sabotaged her career for selfish reasons, preferred her to be financially subordinate and regarded her as intellectually inferior. He was manipulative and possessive – the archetypal gaslighter. Willett reminds us that Joey, despite his transparently promiscuous ways, was always supportive and protective. He helped her break into the fashion industry, fell in love with her while she was pregnant and welcomed her baby into his home when born. He made her laugh, and behaved properly when she didn’t reciprocate his feelings. Willet’s argument wasn’t a matter of taste in men – it was one of unacknowledged toxic masculinity. As the enlightening tweets rolled in, a long lost penny dropped for a whole generation of Friends watchers. Twitter drowned the thread in retweets, accolades and “mind blown!” react GIFS. It was dissected and praised widely in the media, and achieved international recognition. If we could have been so wrong about Ross and Rachel, what else had we overlooked? ...Well, as it turns out, a lot. Many of the misdemeanours we no longer tolerate from modern TV still exist in those classic episodes, now showing on Comedy Central and Netflix. Racism, fatphobia, classism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, transphobia, a total lack of diversity in casting, the trivialising of workplace harassment, jokes about inappropriate relationships between figures of authority and children and much, much more. Such a critical blind spot is also present when it comes to The Simpsons, as demonstrated by comedian Hari Kondabolu in his insightful new documentary, The Problem with Apu. “‘Thankyou, come again!’ has haunted Indian children for over a quarter-century,” Kondabolu asserts, referring to the catchphrase of character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, The Simpsons’ racist, stereotypical caricature of a South Asian

January 2018

convenience shop owner. For context, the name Nahasapeemapetilon is derived from Sanskrit for ‘bullshit’, and his accent is the making of white voiceover artist Hank Azaria, who’s shown in the film saying the following to interviewers: “Right away they were like ‘can you do an Indian voice, and how offensive can you make it?” Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to online sociopolitical critique of their own problematic fave, Sex and the City. Their Instagram account @EveryoutfitonSATC, which has 395k followers, is mostly dedicated to witty reviews of the iconic outfits worn on the series. But more recently, the pair have introduced a meme-like format featuring screencaps of regrettable moments from the series, re-subtitled to include ‘Woke Charlotte’ calling out her friends’ regressive attitudes. When Carrie mentions she only likes to wear “ghetto gold for fun,” Woke Charlotte responds: “That sentiment is deeply classist and displays a lack of awareness of your privilege as a white woman.” When Carrie denies the existence of bisexuality, Woke Charlotte leans the fuck in.

“If you don’t want to kill your faves, it’s important to find ways to reconcile your politics with your programmes” These days, many millennial TV-watchers have an insatiable taste for progress. We’re at the point where even Netflix’s most progressively written, diversely casted, appropriately directed, thoughtfully lit, and sensitively marketed shows will be pulled up for missteps – and that’s a good thing. Perhaps it’s exhausting for everyone, from the burnt out consumers to the wounded content makers. But that’s just how it works now. Sure, your colour-blind casting is great, but where are your writers of colour? Cool, you wrote a show about trans people, but did a cis person have to play the role? We raise the bar higher and higher and make small smidgens of permanent progress along the way. But identifying the problems in things we consumed as impressionable children before properly developing our world view? That’s more difficult for a range of reasons. Firstly, we feel grateful for the progress those shows once provided, whether that’s Friends’ normalisation of casual sex and narrative emphasis on friendship; SATC’s frontier-smashing examination of sexuality and acknowledgement that women have careers; or The Simpsons’ oft’ incisive political commentary. We also feel locked into a nostalgic relationship with these programmes. Realising their flaws is like coming back from a first semester at uni and re-meeting your great aunt in all her problematic splendour, or realising the tooth fairy is

actually your father – informative but devastating. Unchartered territory. However, those who were teens or older when programmes like Friends began airing will know that this newfound outrage isn’t actually unchartered territory. For example, while Friends aired in the 90s and 00s, it was frequently subject to serious criticism for its perpetuation of archaic gender roles, blinding homophobia and truly Caucasian cast. Many have pointed out that the introduction of Ross’s girlfriend Charlie in season 10 seemed like response to widespread condemnation of Friends’s dearth of black characters with substantial speaking roles. The introduction of a charismatic fossil expert and double loveinterest who happens to be black wouldn’t have been so iconic had the show previously portrayed black people in roles other than service providers or one-line throwaways. The tokenistic racial elastoplast manoeuvre wasn’t invented by Lena Dunham with Hannah’s black boyfriend in the milky-white season 2 of GIRLS. It goes way back. That Friends sidled past such urgent contem-

INTERSECTIONS

porary criticisms and became one of the most popular television shows of all time could be attributed to the fact that these original criticisms are barely digitised, lost to the mist of paper recycling. And, because re-runs simply aren’t subject to the same scrutiny as original airings, the show’s younger fans were left with the idea that the show was iconic, unfailing and timeless thanks to a media diet of Buzzfeed quizzes and Tumblr gif-sets. But there’s something we can learn from this mess. Claire Willett, Hari Kondabolu, Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni are a reminder that if you don’t want to kill your faves, it’s important to find ways to reconcile your politics with your programmes; whether that’s screaming at your screen, making memes, or writing to Matt Groening and asking him what the fuck he thinks he’s doing. The experience of feeling retrospectively betrayed by old faves is also a lesson in hindsight. It teaches us to examine modern TV and film and decide how to do future generations proud. Or, at the very least, how not to horrify them.

Lifestyle

Living in Warsaw Known for its cosmopolitan centre and abundant green spaces, the Polish capital of Warsaw blossoms in the summer. This sprawling city offers a mind-boggling selection of culinary delights, vibrant nightlife and low living costs

f you’ve ever visited other Polish cities, you’ll quickly realise that Warsaw has a different feel to it. It’s not centred around an old market square; rather, it’s sprawled across a large area where diverse architectural styles mix – brutalist concrete, pre-war modernism, restored Gothic, and modern skyscrapers. Marking the centre of the Polish capital is the unmissable Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN): a ‘gift’ from Stalin, built in 1955 in a mixture of Socialist realism and Polish historicism. Standing at nearly 800 feet, it’s the tallest building in Poland and a symbol of the country’s complex past. Another thing that’s very noticeable about Warsaw is that it’s always changing. If you go away for a couple of months, you’re likely to notice that new buildings, roads, shopping centres and even bridges have popped up around the city. The Polish language Lots of Polish people speak English well, which makes communicating and socialising relatively easy. It’s also convenient as Polish is quite difficult to learn and speak, although Poles do enjoy it when foreigners try to pronounce some of the words. It’s useful to note that there’s a generational divide when it comes to speaking English, so communicating with older people might be more difficult.

Finding work European Economic Area citizens can work in Poland without a permit, so finding a job is a fairly straightforward process. Especially as there’s a high demand for native English speakers in most big industries. There are lots of opportunities in information technology, finance and business services, and English-speaking expats tend to get paid well if they have experience and qualifications. It’s worth keeping in mind that salaries are relatively low in comparison to neighbouring EU countries. As a result, cost of living is also relatively low, which means that you can get a lot for your money. Opening a bank account is pretty easy since most banks in Poland are happy to accommodate foreigners providing they show a valid passport. Conditions might be different depending on which bank you go for, but they tend to be fairly similar across the board. Renting a flat Renting is relatively simple. Most people rent through agencies or classifieds sites like Gumtree, OLX or Oto Dom. A lot of locals get flats through word of mouth so it’s worth asking any Warsawbased friends if they know of any rooms going before you move over. A room in central Warsaw costs around 1000zł (£210), while a one bedroom flat will set you back around 2500zł (£525). When

Conor Harrington, Warsaw Fight Club, Praga

Lifestyle

Words: Marta Tycinska Photos: Sarah Donley

flat-hunting, bear in mind that living rooms are included in the room count in ads, so a two-room place will usually mean a flat with one bedroom and a living room. Where to live? ´ ´ is Warsaw’s busiest and most vibrant Sródmiescie district, taking up a huge part of the city centre. It covers the Old Town in the north, the riverside ´ and South ´Sródmiescie ´ – a lively area Powisle that’s full of boutiques, bars and restaurants. Mokotowska Street is great for shopping, while ´ Poznanska is brimming with cool eateries. Plac Zbawiciela is where the hipsters go for drinks and where the cult Klub Plan B can be found. Mokotów is a sprawling district located south of the city centre and split into two sections – Górny (upper) and Dolny (lower) Mokotów. This popular area is very well connected to the rest of the city by bus, tram and the metro. With its elegant tenements and foreign embassies, it’s also home to a lot of green spaces, atmospheric cafés (such as Relaks on Puławska Street) and arthouse cinemas (Iluzjon and Wisła). The charming ˙Zoliborz (from the French joli bord, meaning ‘beautiful bank/embankment’) in the northwest is a favourite among locals. Traditionally an intelligentsia district, it’s full of lovely cafés and restaurants nestled among modernist tenements. Check out Porananas, Fawory, Jaskolka and DOM and the Breakfast Market (Targ ´ Sniadaniowy) that takes place at weekends during the warmer months at Aleja Wojska Polskiego. To the east of the city, the district of Praga remains a terra incognita of sorts for a lot of Varsovians. Atmospheric and scruffy, this part of town has been undergoing intense gentrification for years, and while it definitely has a bohemian edge, it’s still generally perceived as a fairly unsafe area. It’s a good place to live for cheaper rent, proximity of arts complexes and cool, lowkey bars (including Łysy Pingwin and W Oparach Absurdu on Ząbkowska Street). It’s also really interesting from an architectural perspective, having remained intact while the rest of the city was heavily bombed and largely destroyed during WW2. South of Praga and the National Stadium, there’s also the lovely, leafy Saska Kępa. Centred around the bustling Francuska Street, this small district offers a mix of laid back cafés, restaurants and shops. It also features some of the city’s best examples of modernist architecture from the preWW2 period – a style of architecture Warsaw is renowned for. Green spaces Warsaw is a very green city, with almost 20,000 acres of parks and other green spaces. Around 15% of the city’s urban area is covered by wood-

Łazienki Królewskie

The Palace of Culture and Science

land – more than any other European city. Some of Warsaw’s parks date back several hundred years, like the historical Łazienki Królewskie (‘Royal Baths’) which offers a picturesque glimpse into the past, with its Baroque palaces and classicist follies. Other green spaces are great for cycling, jogging and relaxing in. The city is split in half by the largest river in Poland, the Vistula. Over the last decade or so, the left bank of the Vistula has transformed from a no man’s land into a hugely popular area to hang out during the summer. Hundreds of people flock here at weekends, chilling in deck chairs and on the steps along the shore, which is dotted with countless bars, clubs and food trucks. Eating in Warsaw The Polish capital has transformed massively over the last 20 years and its culinary scene is a ´ strong reflection of this. Poznanska Street is where you’ll find an abundance of great, affordably priced restaurants, including Leniviec, Tel Aviv and Kraken & Beirut. The latter consists of two separate restaurants: Kraken specialises in seafood and rum, while Beirut offers delicious Middle Eastern dishes. For veggies and vegans, the place to go is Krowarzywa, which offers an excellent selection of tasty and reasonably priced vegan burgers (there are two branches located ˙ on Marszałkowska and Hoza). If you’re in the mood for a cheap and cheerful option, check out the many milk bars (bary mleczne) dotted around the city centre. Harking back to the Communist era and serving traditional Polish food for very affordable prices, Bambino on Krucza and Prasowy on Marszalkowska are favourites among locals.

TRAVEL

Drinking, gigs and dancing Warsaw has a great bar and club scene, fast gaining a reputation to rival its western neighbours. In the city centre, there’s Pawilony, a complex of ´ bars tucked away behind the touristy Nowy Swiat (part of the Royal Route). The little bars look similar from the outside, but each has its own distinct character once you’re in the door. It’s a great place to catch up with friends over a quiet beer in the week or for pre-drinks at the weekend. Located on the left bank of the Vistula, the seasonal, al fresco Plac Zabaw is a popular hotspot for all sorts of cultural activities, including gigs, film screenings, comedy shows and foodie events. Tucked away behind Park Ujazdowski, there’s also Ladom – a small Finnish house where offbeat label Lado ABC puts on regular gigs, workshops and exhibitions. When it comes to clubbing, 1500m2 do wynajęcia, Luzztro and Jasna 1 offer reliable, regular nights that usually keep going until the small hours of the morning. There are more clubs over the river in Praga at 11 Listopada Street – at number 22, you’ll find a courtyard with three decent nightspots: Hydrozagadka, Skład Butelek and Chmury. LGBTQ+ in Warsaw Being the largest city in Poland, Warsaw is the most open and tolerant place in the country. It’s the city that young people move to in search of a better and fuller life, and this is reflected in the city’s LGBTQ+ scene. Popular spots include Club Galeria at Plac Mirowski, Glam Club on ˙Zurawia Street, Ramona Bar on Widok Street and the gay-friendly Plan B. Other venues, including clubs and cocktail bars, tend to show themselves to be gay-friendly by displaying rainbow flag stickers on their doors.

THE SKINNY

Travelling Without Moving Want to experience other cultures but lacking the means to travel? One writer takes a musical approach to exploring the world

ake a look at your phone, laptop or whatever device it is you’re using to listen to music at the moment. Now be honest with yourself – do you notice a pattern? It hit me one night when I was having my dinner. I was eating a lovingly prepared Malaysian laksa. The night before that, I’d had pizza. The night before that was stir-fry. I’m not normally the kind of person who can remember what I had last night for my dinner but this time, it was important. I looked down at my phone. Pretty much all of the music on it was from the UK or USA, whereas the food we eat is from a wide variety of countries. Why is it that we are more open to the world’s food culture, than we are to its music? We are living in turbulent times globally, and world leaders are more often the cause of international tensions (Brexit, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, North Korea, Jerusalem or the European migrant crisis for example) than the ones finding solutions. If leaders don’t inspire much confidence, then it may be left to regular folk like us to build cultural bridges, from the ground up. Travel, at its best, encourages respect between different cultures. To visit another country and see it with your own eyes is to understand something of it, first hand. Media organisations with overt political allegiances make it impossible to take what we hear about the world through them at face value. In some cases, it is their aim to guide us surreptitiously to find enemies abroad; to influence our opinions, rather than present the facts in an open and transparent manner. Of course, travel isn’t feasible for everyone. It is expensive and time-consuming. At its worst, it is an elitist pursuit. In recent years, extensive travel has increasingly become the exclusive hobby of the Baby Boomers whose riches have grown over the last couple of decades. As the younger Gen-X and Millennial generations’ fortunes worsen, their travel plans have been forced to shrink to fit. It is possible, however, to engage with diffe-

January 2018

Words: Ian Paterson Illustration: Eunjoo Lee

rent cultures regularly, in an inexpensive way, without even leaving the house. You will find a more nuanced account of Syria from listening to the music of Omar Souleyman, for example, than you would from picking up a UK newspaper. It says a lot about the Syrian respect for marriage that their most internationally recognised musician is a humble wedding singer (and farmer) who sings exclusively on the topic of eternal love. Our media may present only one aspect of the Syrian nation but Souleyman is a lover, not a fighter. With these thoughts in mind, I set about a project to immerse myself as much as I could in the world’s music. As a huge music fan, traveller and former music blogger, understanding the world through music makes a lot of sense to me. And so I began scouring the internet, looking up music blogs from different countries, listening to Spotify playlists from around the globe. It became an all-consuming process and one that I soon realised was more difficult than I thought, due to how music is presented to us. The music industry is structured in such a way as to make it more likely that I heard the music that I have on my phone. Only three major music companies – Universal, Sony, Warner – hold a 70% global market share, running an effective monopoly over what music you’re able and likely to hear. None of them even has an office in any of the poorest half of global nations. They use their influence to get their artists heard first, so it is the music they sell that you are most likely to hear and most of their artists are – you guessed it – British or North American. I realised I needed some help – it was time to enlist the help of music and travel bloggers I knew from around the world, to collaborate with music from their respective nations. In came travel bloggers like Kristin Addis – who has lived in Berlin for four years – and contributed her knowledge of the city’s electronic scene. Freelance music and travel journo Zoe Macfarlane

answered the call to provide insight into the music of her homeland, New Zealand. New music blogs like Sweden’s Sounds of a Tired City or Germany’s We Love That Sound picked the tracks that helped us get under the skin of their respective countries. Friends I’d met on my own travels started to chip in too, adding the knowledge needed to collate great examples of music from around the globe.

“ Immerse yourself in the music of a place you’ve always wanted to visit; it can be transcendental” You can find the playlists collectively curated so far on the Resfeber Travel Blog; please do delve into these carefully curated cultural collections. To a music fan, learning about the world through music makes so much sense. Yes, they might be singing in a different language but you needn’t look any further than Glasgow’s own Mogwai, to tell you “music is bigger than words and wider than pictures” and god damn right it is. It’s impossible to expect you to fall for every band from every country, but with an open mind, we can at the very least learn something from each. So far, I’ve learned that I’d happily pay £20 for a ticket to go and see transcendental Mongolian folk band, Huun-Huur-Tu. I’d gladly miss the last bus home in favour of moshing through an encore at one of Chilean indie band Dënver’s gigs. I’ve discovered that with a population similar to Inverness, Greenland’s isolated location and cold weather

TRAVEL

actually helps them to produce a quality of music you’d expect from a country of millions. I’m loath to use the term ‘world music’ to describe these sounds. I mean, we wouldn’t describe a band from the USA that way, so why should we use the term to describe a band from South America? Listen to our African Music Playlist, which features a huge proportion of its music from the thriving Malian scene, one of the many nations under-represented by the major labels. Surely with internationally acclaimed acts like Tinariwen, Amadou & Mariam and Salif Keita, that’s a scene worth nurturing? Some tips on approaching your musical journey: when researching different music cultures, come at it from the angle of a travel enthusiast. You wouldn’t travel to a country that doesn’t have what you think is interesting culture, would you? Check out the music from the places that pique your interest. Immerse yourself in the music of a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Travel without moving. It can be a transcendental experience. For example, ever since watching the BBC documentary How to Stay Young, I’ve been hooked. It featured the lifestyles of the Okinawan people – the longest living people in the world – from southern Japan. Their culture, lifestyle and health regimes are fascinating. Why do they live so long? What’s even more interesting is when listening to their music, you can feel you can hear the vibrancy of their lifestyles transmit directly into the incredible folk music they create. It’s powerful heartfelt music, as if their ultra-healthiness gives them an added creative glow – healthy body, healthy mind, so they say. It’s powerfully evocative music and why several Okinawan folk tracks appear on Resfeber’s Japanese Music Playlist. If you’re interested in exploring a feast of international delights, maybe even promoting global equality, now might be your chance. resfebertravelblog.com/category/world-music-playlists

Lifestyle

THE SKINNY

The Xcerts: Under the Infuence

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Change Of Heart [Long After Dark, 1982] Tom Petty is without doubt one of the greatest songwriters of all time. His craft and class was effortless! His influence is very apparent on our new record but it was the idea of simplifying that really shaped the songs. Once you clock how much breathing space there is in pretty much every single Tom Petty song, you realise how unnecessary it is to overcomplicate and how many more layers and textures you can add to a song. Even though the songs on Hold on to Your Heart are very simple and lean, if you really hone in, you’ll hear so much additional production and instrumentation. Simplifying everything proved to be pretty challenging at points as there is a fine line between tasteful and dumb. Ryan Adams – So Alive [Rock n Roll, 2003] I’ve been a fan of Ryan Adams for years now but I don’t think his influence has ever shone through in my/our writing, until now that is. I remember seeing the video for So Alive late one night when I was a teenager, on 120 Minutes – which was the finest show on MTV2 at the time – and I remember the song really connecting with me. It’s like a Replacements fan writing a song inspired by U2. Rock n Roll is by no means my favourite Ryan Adams record but this song is so emotive, simple and the vocal take is unbelievably captivating. Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time [She’s So Unusual, 1983] Cyndi Lauper’s writing is so unfathomably good. When I listen

January 2018

As The Xcerts get ready to release their third album, Hold on to Your Heart, frontman Murray Macleod tells us about ten influential songs which helped shape the album

to her, I genuinely believe she is a higher being. The way the chorus melody flows in this song is so heartbreaking and lush. Light and dark coexist in a lot of her songs which is something that really inspired my lyric writing for this new record. I used to think in order to be a cathartic writer, you had to write about the dark and the negative which is absolute horse shit of course. Life is full of light, dark, ups, downs, beauty, horror... I really wanted the record to portray life and my experiences in a much more honest way.

“ I used to think in order to be a cathartic writer you had to write about the dark and the negative, which is absolute horse shit of course” The Cure – Just Like Heaven [Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, 1987] The Cure have been a ubiquitous force in the rehearsal room, seemingly infecting all aspects of the songwriting process yet leaving no glaring watermark. Just Like Heaven is one of the band’s more joyful songs but still has the air of melancholy present in much of their music. Hold on to

Your Heart as a record is a mix of ups and downs, mirroring the plots of the movies that inspire it and treading the same path The Cure have always done, encountering both light and shade. Big Star – September Gurls [Radio City, 1974] Big Star are a band I’ve known of for years, but only really began listening to during the writing of this record. We didn’t just decide we were gonna ‘go 80s’, we just organically moved in to more considered, simple songwriting because we were listening to artists like Tom Petty and Big Star, who made careers on producing well written pop songs that have stood the test of time. If we are ever mentioned in the same sentence as Big Star, or any of our music becomes revered the way September Gurls is, we will be proud boys. Don Henley – New York Minute [The End of Innocence, 1989] Daydream was one of the first songs we wrote for this record and it was certainly the sound that determined the music to follow. Boys of Summer by Don Henley was the vibe that Daydream subscribed to but his 1989 hit New York Minute, I feel, inspired a lot of Hold on to Your Heart’s melodic sensibilities and showed us that a chorus can be a bold statement that stops you in your tracks like New York traffic.

Music

Bruce Springsteen – Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out [Born to Run, 1975] Hands down my favourite song off Born to Run, which is, obviously, mental and wrong,

considering the undeniable classics that litter the rest of the album. But [it] clearly illustrates how important a single, pedalled-piano chord, that you can play with one hand, while wearing sunglasses, and, with the other, gesture, coolly, towards the band’s singer, who is Bruce Springsteen, is to me, when I’m making these kinds of decisions... I just realised, right now, that I need to go and start an upmarket mobile-catering company called ‘Spruce String-Bean’. Tom Waits – Johnsburg, Illinois [Swordfishtrombones, 1983] This song reminds me of Hemingway and his friends writing six-word stories together (google it, m8). The goal of the exercise was to cram as much information, as much emotional weight into the story as possible using only six words. Tom Waits can make me feel more in a minute-and-a half drunken piano-ditty than some close personal friends have made me feel in our entire relationships together. Figure THAT one out, Mr. Therapist. Prince – The Ballad of Dorothy Parker [Sign o’ the Times, 1987] Totally and utterly bonkers song with equally wackadoo production that I will never fully wrap my brain around. “Is that a Clavinet (electric clavichord) and a Rhodes (piano) playing the same part?” “Why is he taking a bubble bath with his pants on?” So many questions... Especially dig the crazy, too-loud-drum-machine snare rolls, and the fact Prince can turn me on by ordering a fruit cocktail. Hold on to Your Heart is released on 19 Jan via Raygun Records thexcertsband.com

Review

Still Standing We chat to Teenage Fanclub drummer, and classical composer, Francis Macdonald about his latest offering, Hamilton Mausoleum Suite

“I

haven’t really had anyone to show me the way, I’ve just been following my nose.” It might not be a usual trajectory — successful drummer to acclaimed instrumental composer — but over the past few years Francis Macdonald, backbeat of genre-defining Scottish pop-rock legends Teenage Fanclub, has eased seamlessly into the classical world. An integral element of The Fannies, he also manages bands pivotal to the Scottish music family tree, The Vaselines and Camera Obscura. Then there’s his soundtracks for films and music for TV, from blockbusters to documentaries, gameshows and adverts. There’s art-crossover projects and work unearthing lost Hebridean songs; he’s also a teacher and a record label manager. But it’s Macdonald’s move into the role of classical composer that he’s becoming more confident and comfortable with. The classical work has crept up on him, he admits, hands warming around a soya latte on a bright, chilly morning in a bustling Italian cafe in Glasgow’s West End. He suggests his interest was sparked through a combination of turning 40 some years back, reading a couple of articles or listening to Desert Island Discs. “I started revisiting classical tunes and I realised that I would have to make an effort to get to know this music, it wasn’t just going to come to me,” he recalls. “My background was always pop-rock and there were real false starts in the past with trying to get into classical music. But in the past few years I’ve just been open to it.” In 2015 he released his debut neo-classical album Music for String Quartet, Piano and Celeste, which he says was an incredible learning process, leading him to decide that he wanted to be solely responsible for his own compositions. “Either you delegate or you try and learn what’s going on,” he states. “At the end of it I ended up doing something that a few years ago I would have thought I wasn’t capable of, I would have thought that’s the sort of music other people make, but I sort of bullied myself into doing it,” he laughs. “I’m self-conscious about not being trained but no one’s told me I can’t do this music,” he adds. “I’m respectful of people that do have that training and education but I don’t want to be respectful to the point that I think myself out of having a go. If a punter hears a piece of music and likes it, they

Interview: Susan Le May

don’t know how that was arrived at and it shouldn’t really matter.” Macdonald’s latest work, Hamilton Mausoleum Suite, is inspired by a unique historical landmark that’s punctuated much of his life. It’s a work of exquisite, emotive instrumental beauty featuring soloists from The Scottish Festival Orchestra. The pieces are blanketed in soaring strings, impish minimalism and mournful melodies that interplay with the elongated echo of the unusual space.

“ I’m self-conscious about not being trained but no one’s told me I can’t do this music” Francis Macdonald

Photo: David Boni

Once holding the record for the longest echo of any manmade structure, the Hamilton Mausoleum is both a symbol of familial devotion and a display of vulgar wealth and folly. There are whispering walls, Masonic symbols and tales of the 10th Duke who built the structure but died before seeing it completed. At one point he was buried in an Egyptian sarcophagus inside, and the story goes that his legs had to be broken so he could fit in it. Stone lions guard the back of it, and the structure now lies bare of human remains following flooding and subsidence. “I’m fond of [the mausoleum] but there’s a bit of a glint in my eye as well about the whole thing,” Macdonald suggests. “It was a great focus to hang things on, and gave it all defined parameters and a story, I need that I think.” The album was recorded in one cold autumn day in November 2016, with all participants in the one space and with minimal post-production edits. There was a lot of music to get through in a small time frame, so the five musicians worked hard in challenging conditions. “Right at the end when everyone had left I just had to walk around this complete darkness blowing out candles with

Review

Fauves, King Tut’s, Glasgow, 19 Jan Glasgow-based Fauves were formed in February 2016 by Ryan Caldwell after he began recording some demos with the help of drummer (and now bandmate) Ciaran Devlin. The band is completed by Jonny Glass and Rory Bradley, and from what we can make out from some recent online pics, The Vegan Leather’s Gianluca Bernacchi appears to have joined them. They’re planning a new EP – Les Fauves – for release in early 2018 via Spiral Oh, and they play as part of King Tut’s New Year’s Revolutions tonight!

Hamilton Mausoleum Suite is released on 26 Jan via TR7/ Shoeshine Records Hamilton Mausoleum Suite will be performed live at the Hamilton Mausoleum, South Lanarkshire, 19 Feb

Rock Trust Fundraiser, Biscuit Factory, Edinburgh, 21 Jan Spinning Coin, Breakfast Muff, Duds, Robert Sotelo Group, Jack Lee, Rainham Sheds and Smooth Dad & The Community are all playing this charity fundraiser courtesy of new Edinburgh promoters, Good Grief. For only £10 you can enjoy this all-dayer safe in the knowledge that all proceeds will go to the Rock Trust, who work with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless or socially excluded. A fun day out that will also help a vital cause.

Breakfast Muff

Modern Studies

SOUNDING, Saint Luke’s, Glasgow, 21 Jan After a successful outing during the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe, SOUNDING is back as part of 2018’s Celtic Connections programme. Featuring 2017 Scottish Album of the Year longlisters Modern Studies, alongside Lomond Campbell, together they’ll perform their unique brand of pastoral and lyrical pop enhanced by intricate arrangements performed by ten-piece string section, the Pumpkinseed Chamber Orchestra.

THE SKINNY

Photo: Paul Marr

francismacdonald.com

Photo: Paul Burt

Photo: Miff Morris

Andy Cooper

Fauves

Photo: Claire Maxwell

Do Not Miss Andy Cooper (Ugly Duckling), The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 10 Jan It’s January, it’s cold, it’s hard to find the energy and motivation to leave your house to do anything except go to work, and even that’s a struggle, right?! Step forward one of the warmest and most infectious performers there is: Andy Cooper. One third of Ugly Duckling, Cooper is influenced by acts like Run DMC, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul and is guaranteed to warm up this cold January night with his own brand of upbeat old school hip-hop with a party twist.

playing and it’s like they’re reading this code, it’s like a magical thing. I knew exactly what he meant. When they just look at black dots on a piece of paper and this music starts appearing and is played so well, it’s pretty special. “I have to learn that if you’re going to write for these instruments you can’t be constantly surprised by the sound of one note on a violin, you’ve got to know what it’s going to sound like and maybe I’m getting better at that but it’s still a magical thing. Hopefully there will be more magical moments.”

the torch from my iPhone,” he recalls. “It felt like the end of a really special experience. To hear stuff in that environment was pretty special.” Due to the unique nature of the building, Macdonald had to reiterate just how reverberant the room was. “If you just move your feet and stand that noise will go on and you have to stand still until it dies again. That gave the whole thing a bit of a charged atmosphere.” He admits he’s still finding his way in the classical world, though feels on the right track, gaining more confidence with time and experience. With his latest work he was surprised that it sounded even better than he’d expected. “I was talking to Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian), who I think has often written his own string arrangements, and he said something about [having] these notes on paper and then [the musicians] start

Boo Year’s Resolutions As they prepare to play King Tut's New Year's Revolution festival, Glasgow's BooHooHoo chart their rise so far and share some tips and resolutions for 2018

even heard each other, so it was kind of blind faith on their part. “It came at the right time. I had been studying classical music and was really losing inspiration. I always loved pop music so didn’t see the harm in putting a cheeky post online. It’s funny what I wrote – I hardly listen to those bands now – but I loved playing with the guys straight away. It’s a type of music where you can’t stay still on stage.”

here’s much about Glasgow noisemakers BooHooHoo that’s immediately refreshing. It’s not just that they’re openly influenced by the likes of Phil Collins and Prince, or even the fact they bear a name so onomatopoeic it sounds like a Super Mario character. Rather, it’s their funkfuelled, sparkly synth-led singles and flamboyant festival performances that are winning them new fans across Scotland. Glasgow has long had a reputation for churning out dour indie rockers by the bulk, but BooHooHoo refuse to conform and aren’t laying down their instruments for the dark winter months. Having seen off 2017 with a Christmas party in Edinburgh, they kick off this year with a headline slot at King Tut’s now annual New Year’s Revolution showcase; “It’s the venue where we first got noticed,” says singer and multi-instrumentalist Reggie House. “We played there for the Summer Nights festival in 2016 and it was the first time where it felt like ‘Yes, we’re not just practising anymore – we’re comfortable and this is the direction we want to go in’. “It felt right. Ricky [Richardson], our bassist, and I had played in guitar bands since we were about 15. I guess we broke away because we wanted to make music that was more poppy and electronic. We have a bit of an aversion to guitars at this point because there are so many of those bands in Glasgow. We’re more turned on by a big synth pad these days.” Despite their proclivity for 80s electro, to describe them as another pop group in the mould of CHVRCHES or Prides would be misleading. The band’s DebutHooHoo EP in late 2016 presented a group with just as much love for shrieking vocoder, spiky syncopated grooves and expertly placed jazz flute interludes. As if that wasn’t enough, they quite literally hooked in listeners by presenting the album on limited edition coloured USB slap wristbands. But the band didn’t embrace the funk overnight – the wheels only started moving after they discovered flautist, vocalist and synth player Liz Kyoko, who had placed an advert on the online classifieds site Gumtree. Listing bands like Passion Pit, Röyksopp and Chromeo under her favourite acts, she was invited into the band after the briefest of auditions. “I think we just met and got smashed in a pub,” says Kyoko. “I was in the band before we

January 2018

BooHooHoo’s bands to watch in 2018 “We obviously like some of the bands on the funkier end of the spectrum like WHITE and of course The Vegan Leather – they’re awesome people with awesome music. We like Ava Love a lot and think they’ll do well this year; we’re biased as we played our Christmas party with them and their drummer plays with us sometimes. They have a similar love for 80s classics and Phil Collins, things like that. By that, we mean cheesy pop Phil Collins as opposed to proggy Genesis Phil Collins. For us, the more cheese, the better!

BooHooHoo play King Tut’s New Year’s Revolution at King Tut’s, Glasgow, 12 Jan facebook.com/boohoohooband kingtuts.co.uk

Liz Kyoko

Marnie

Avalanche Party

Moon Duo, La Belle Angèle, Edinburgh, 31 Jan 2017 was a busy year for Moon Duo, releasing not one but two albums – Occult Architecture Vol. 1 & 2 – and touring all over the world. Now, as a new year starts, the Portland, Oregon outfit are already back out on the road and are taking in a show at Edinburgh’s La Belle Angèle tonight. Expect some lovely fuzzed-out and meditative, psychedelic sounds – the perfect way to round off January

Avalanche Party, Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 30 Jan Independent Venue Week is celebrating its fifth year in 2018 taking in a packed week of exciting shows at indie venues all over the UK from 29 Jan to 4 Feb. More than 160 venues are taking part this year including Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s, who’ll be welcoming North Yorkshire noise-merchants Avalanche Party to the Cowgate. Supporting the garage-rock five-piece will be two Glasgow ear-botherers – indie-new wave outfit Walt Disco and fuzz rock trio Shredd.

Music

Moon Duo

Review

Photo: Olivier Bourgi

Marnie, The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 27 Jan Helen Marnie is perhaps best known as the vocalist of Liverpool electronic outfit, Ladytron (Seventeen will forever be a banger) – as a soloist, Marnie is based in Glasgow and released her second solo album, Strange Words and Weird Wars, via Disco Piñata last June. Tonight she plays The Hug & Pint as part of this year’s Celtic Connections festival and we reckon her brand of pop will be perfect for dancing away those January blues.

Photo: Rory Sansom

Photo: Brian Sweeney

2017 saw the band perform as a quartet, albeit with a “revolving door of drummers”, playing Belladrum, Bute Fest, Northern Roots and other bespoke festivals for emerging Scottish acts. Looking ahead to their King Tut’s show, though, they admit they didn’t keep many of their 2017 new year’s resolutions. “We had a whole release plan for the year,” says House. “We’re sitting on a big collection of songs – an album’s worth, really. We had six or seven singles we wanted to get out, but we only put out the track Fire in April. We thought it was wiser to bide our time. “There were a few life lessons in there too I suppose – like not partying hard and drinking too much for three days at a festival if your slot is on the last day! We’ll learn from that this year. We also definitely want to put out a new single early in the year. We’ll play it by ear from there – we know there are people who want to hear new music.” As for making use of Kyoko’s jazz flute abilities?

Photo: Aleksandra Modrzejewska

Rachel Sermanni, Summerhall, Edinburgh, 26 Jan Rachel Sermanni is playing a special Nothing Ever Happens Here show tonight as part of Summerhall’s Burns Unbroke festival. Sermanni is the perfect choice to play as she cites Burns as an inspiration and has previously performed her own versions of Ae Fond Kiss and My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose. For Burns Unbroke, Sermanni brings a special one-off set featuring new instrumentation and many a nod to Burns. On support duty is Broken Records’ frontman, Jamie Sutherland.

There’s a few bands at the moment riding a small buzz who have that kind of synth edge. I think that when you’re in that genre, you can express a bit more freedom and personality. “Other than that, we’re really into some of the artists on Last Night From Glasgow (a not-for-profit label that started up in 2016). Medicine Men are great and Emme Woods is a really talented singer-songwriter. There’s also Moonlight Zoo who we played with at Bute Fest. To be honest, Scottish music is really exciting at the minute.”

“It’s hilarious,” says House, “she originally just had a fifteen second solo in one of our tracks (Mould Me) but now people know us as ‘the flute band’. I suppose our resolution for this year will be to make more use of it, but we won’t overdo it.”

“ I think we just met and got smashed in a pub. I was in the band before we even heard each other, so it was kind of blind faith on their part”

Photo: Ty Hyten

Rachel Sermanni

Interview: Jonathan Rimmer

The Spook School

Yet another success story in the long lineage of Scottish twee-pop/alt-rock bands, The Spook School approach their third album on the verge of super-stardom. Blending the classic sound of canonised bands like The Pastels or Teenage Fanclub with more recent acts like Los Campesinos! or Trust Fund, The Spook School are readying a huge tour with Diet Cig in the States this year. Their first two records, 2013’s Dress Up and 2015’s Try to Be Hopeful, saw the young band still finding their feet. Assured of their sound yes, but they’ve grown in confidence – and production values – year upon year, and with Could it Be

The Spook School

Could it Be Different? [Alcopop! Records, 26 Jan]

rrrrr

rrrrr Shite rrrrr Boring rrrrr Solid

Dream Wife

Django Django

LYLO

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Dream Wife [Lucky Number, 26 Jan]

Lead vocalist Rakel Mjöll, guitarist Alice Go and bassist Bella Podpadec all met while studying various art courses at Brighton University, where Dream Wife was born as a performance art project. Quickly realising the immense chemistry between them, they made the decision to take the band out of the university walls and into the real world. Dream Wife encapsulates the incredible energy of the London-based trio’s live shows, which they’ve been perfecting since their inception. Bookended by punk thrashers Let’s Make Out and F.U.U., it’s bold, playful and fast-paced but still leaves plenty of room for more delicate moments on the likes of Love Without Reason. Mjöll’s staccato vocals are sharp and snappy on Fire and Hey Heartbreaker, while Go’s infectiously catchy guitar riffs are the driving force on Kids and Right Now. ‘You were a cute girl standing backstage / It was bound to happen,’ sings Mjöll on Somebody, addressing issues of sexism and rape culture by listing off a series of stereotypical comments made towards women before concluding in the chorus, ‘I am not my body / I am somebody.’ Dream Wife is brimming with grungey, glam melters and dreamy pop melodies that perfectly capture the enthusiasm and confidence of Dream Wife’s live shows, without sounding too over-polished. [Nadia Younes] Listen to: Let’s Make Out, Fire, Love Without Reason

Review

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Marble Skies [Ribbon Music, 26 Jan]

Across two albums – their Mercury Prize-nominated debut and 2015’s Born Under Saturn – art-pop group Django Django have forged a sound built on surf guitars and dance music-inspired electronica underpinned by vocal harmonies. It comes as no surprise then that their third effort, Marble Skies, deviates little from that very genreblurring formula, albeit in slightly leaner fashion than its predecessor. It’s an effort that kicks off at break-neck speed thanks to the quick-fire arpeggiated melodies and jangly riffs of the title track, rapidly followed by the pressurised beats and vintage house feel of Surface to Air, which is balanced by warm vocals. In Your Beat and Real Gone further this pulsating dance motif, the former being glitchy yet smooth, adding extra punch to its explosive hook each time round, while the latter is both modular yet cerebral. The more indie-infused side of Django Django’s work comes to the fore in the middle of these two passages, keeping the tempo up on Tic Tac Toe but introducing a down and dirty blues vibe on Further. However, rather than marrying their sound together, the dual sides to the band stand in stark contrast. Marble Skies finds difficulty in consolidating each defining element into a smooth blend, leading to a record that’s bookended by heart-stopping tracks with a frustratingly stodgy middle passage. [Eugenie Johnson] Listen to: Surface to Air

Post Era [El Rancho Records, 26 Jan]

Just when you think you’ve had it up to the eyeballs with endless iterations of jangly indie rock, along come a band that restore your faith. Glaswegian five-piece LYLO have returned with their second record Post Era, and if the name is anything to go by, they’re ready to usher in a new direction in the city’s musical output with a resounding kick up the arse. The shimmering intro track Everything’s Cool sets the tone for the album, with a mournful saxophone solo cascading into a hypnotic jumble of taut drums, jabbing riffs, wobbling synth and the

Tune-Yards

I can feel you creep into my private life [4AD, 19 Jan]

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Tune-Yards’ new album, I can feel you creep into my private life, is their fullest sounding and most upbeat yet. Lead single Look at Your Hands combines afro-funk and disco elements; Heart Attack and Coast to Coast have the 80s all over them, with the use of synths, handclaps, gated reverb and Merrill Garbus’ distorted vocals, sampled through an MPC to make them sound more robotic. Thematically however, Garbus deals with quite complex subject matter, exploring her relationship with whiteness and her internal conflict with

RECORDS

Photo: Sarah Donley

Album of the Month Different? they find their first release for Alcopop! brimming with immediacy and urgency. In a year (and counting) where political discourse turned mightily regressive, 2017 saw an upturn in queer, POC and female artists getting a more-equal footing with their traditionally honoured cis-male counterparts. This is important for The Spook School who, underneath their poppy shine, are at their heart a fierce yet proud band who are challenging the norm. While this isn’t a measuring stick to use for or against them, the Glasgow-based quartet back it up with brilliantly catchy and inventive songs that will ensure a smile and a toe-tap while making their audience think. Opener Still Alive, with its ‘Fuck you, I’m still alive’ refrain, is the perfect encapsulation of that feeling: a song that seethes in anger post-abusive relationship, but manages to get immediately lodged in one’s head. Elsewhere, Bad Year reflects on the country’s politics and Body addresses selfconfidence in body image, while closer High School speaks directly to every kid who went through school feeling like an outsider. Meanwhile, bassist Anna Cory’s led songs Less Than Perfect, I Only Dance When I Want To and While You Were Sleeping provide perfect moments of pop sweetness in classic two-and-a-half minute punk songs akin to The Shop Assistants or Beat Happening. It’s been an incredible rise from The Spook School, who now find themselves on the cusp of greatness with their third defining statement record. They are yet another example of Scotland’s rich history in artistry and fiercely Do it Yourself attitudes, once again being rewarded for the hard work and dedication this country nurtures. [Adam Turner-Heffer] Listen to: Still Alive, Less Than Perfect, Bad Year, High School

icy vocals of Mitch Flynn; summing up a generation’s collective ennui has never sounded so ironically revitalising. The spitfire percussive intro and jaunty sax flourishes of Turn My Jacket then follow, with the group displaying their slick musicianship during the track’s midpoint instrumental interlude. The same inventive songwriting underscores Submerge, a languid ballad driven by saxophonist Iain McCall’s atmospheric tones and drummer Justin Allan’s faultless, jazz-indebted timekeeping. Showing admirable restraint by whittling the record down to seven tracks, LYLO have ensured that there’s not a single part of the album that’s undeserving of its place. Post Era is effortlessly listenable from start to finish, and sets the bar for 2018 very high indeed. [Claire Francis] Listen to: Submerge, Yeah Boy, One it. On Colonizer, the duo experiment with Eastern sounds and tribal chants, as Garbus sings, ‘I turn on my white woman’s voice to contextualise acts of my white women friends / I cry my white woman tears cutting grooves in my cheeks to display what I meant’. The album’s eerie title appears twice on the album – first, at the end of its centrepiece Colonizer and then again on penultimate track Private Life, where Garbus’ drone-y vocals are accompanied by a shrieking siren, making the words sound even more disturbing. Despite the seriousness of the lyrics, I can feel you creep into my private life manages to remain an uplifting album, with a collection of intricately-crafted pop songs that tackle a range of important current issues. [Nadia Younes] Listen to: Heart Attack, Colonizer

THE SKINNY

The Xcerts

Hold on to Your Heart [Raygun Records, 19 Jan]

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Scottish trio The Xcerts have been drip-feeding hints at their new sound for a couple of months now – the dizzying singles Feels Like Falling in Love and Daydream suggesting that they were ready to make a play for big stages and a more widescreen sound. Hold on to Your Heart doesn’t disappoint, a rose-tinted mix of heartbreaker rock and new-wave emo. There is a deft simplicity across the ten songs on this record, only two of which tip the three-anda-half-minute mark. Lyrics tend towards the vulnerable and 80s synths provide a heady, intoxicating backdrop for the lush, driving guitar sound. In terms of their contemporaries, there is something of The 1975’s cinematic, John Hughesesque lustre to them, but without any of the melodrama or excess.

The Go! Team

Semicircle [Memphis Industries, 19 Jan]

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There was always a sense, when The Go! Team’s searingly singular debut record made its way out of bandleader Ian Parton’s kitchen back in 2004, that their sound was such a distinctive one-off that perhaps there wouldn’t be too much long-

Belle & Sebastian

How to Solve Our Human Problems (Part 2) [Matador, 19 Jan]

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The second installment of Belle & Sebastian’s How to Solve Our Human Problems project is a fitting halfway mark. Show Me the Sun is a great opener, with a saucy guitar lick (reminiscent of Legal Man); I’ll Be Your Pilot might be syrupy to the point of exhaustion, but the overwhelming sentiment that pours out of Stuart Murdoch saves it. The Same Star is simply a pleasant, inoffensive song, and while Stevie Jackson’s Cornflakes is the most adventurous song on the EP, it suffers from overly simplistic lyrics. Overall, while the EP has its highs and lows it’s still a nice listen, something that is sadly becoming par for the course with Belle & Sebastian. [Lewis Wade] Listen to: Show Me the Sun, I’ll Be Your Pilot

January 2018

What Hold on to Your Heart really is though, is a lesson in the art of the chorus. Rarely have so many fist-pumping, singalong hooks been squeezed into 40 minutes of music. The way the repetitive, quicksharp verses of Feels Like Falling in Love give way to that one bittersweet declaration; the more melancholic, anthemic build of the title track. It’s on Drive Me Wild where you get the distillation of everything the band does so well – woops and hollers, unfussy guitar solos, Murray Macleod’s voice like an Aberdonian Tom Petty, a beautifully nostalgic saxophone opening. Arguably, nothing The Xcerts are doing hasn’t been done before. Scotland especially does a fine turn in this guitar-heavy, emotionally fraught pop-rock – you could probably run a thread from The Blue Nile through Idlewild and wind up where we are now without too much fuss. It’s just that The Xcerts do it better than anyone else, with the perfect blend of swagger, guts, and old school songwriting chops. January is miserable and freezing and Hold on to Your Heart is here to save us all. [Harry Harris] Listen to: Feels Like Falling in Love, Drive Me Wild, We Are Gonna Live

The Xcerts

term mileage in it. Parton continued to experiment over the years with everything from old cop-chase TV themes to double-dutch chants to old-school hip-hop, and his rotating cast of collaborators became more illustrious as time went on, with the likes of Chuck D and Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast popping up to make guest appearances. On 2015’s The Scene Between, though, Parton returned to the aesthetic of Thunder, Lightning, Strike, the record that started it all, and produced the group’s finest effort since in the process; he sourced little-known singers to back up force-of-

nature frontwoman Ninja and peppered the record with laid-back instrumental interludes. Semicircle, though, feels like a much heftier affair; this is as close to an out-and-out rock record as they’ve ever gotten, eclipsing 2007’s Proof of Youth. The percussion is thunderous throughout, particularly on Hey! and She’s Got Guns, as well as typically frantic opener Mayday. And even on the more instrumentally placid numbers, there’s still a sense of urgency – see If There’s One Thing You Should Know. This is a more diverse affair than its predecessor, too – Chain Link Fence continues

the hip-hop flirtation that first surfaced on Rolling Blackouts in 2011, while there’s a panoramic quality to the likes of Chico’s Radical Decade and Plans are Like a Dream U Organise. Parton’s eclectic tastes remain the beating heart of The Go! Team, but in producing a record genuinely representative of the band’s boisterous live shows, he sounds more revitalised than ever. [Joe Goggins] Listen to: Chain Link Fence, Chico’s Radical Decade, Plans are Like a Dream U Organise

Hollie Cook

No Age

Typhoon

Stick in the Wheel

Khruangbin

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Vessel of Love [Merge Records, 26 Jan] The third solo album by Hollie Cook sees her take her self-described “tropical pop” – a mixture of reggae and pop – to even greater levels. Vessel of Love is more ethereal, more dreamy, and more hazy than anything she’s written before, moving away from Prince Fatty’s dubbier influence on her previous record towards a more synth-laden sound. At first, the opening track’s – Angel Fire – staccato guitar strumming and triumphant brass riff makes it tempting to categorise Vessel of Love as an uplifting summer album. Yet Cook’s lyrics contain a haunting melancholia, touching on love and survival to create a bittersweet effect. There’s a hidden depth to her breezy pop that will stay with listeners for days. [Becca Inglis] Listen to: Lunar Addiction, Freefalling

Snares Like a Haircut [Drag City, 26 Jan]

Offerings [Roll Call Records, 12 Jan]

A quick, understated collection of pop songs, the latest No Age album Snares Like a Haircut is inventive without deviating from the band’s formula. Constantly threatened by a dominating bar-rage of amplified feedback, new age overtones, and quick, attention-deficient songs, Snares wins by being a deceptively catchy record. There’s mosh pit hooks on Secret Swamp and Soft Collar Fad, and more experimental pop in the Sonic Youth vein on Stuck in the Changer and Primitive Plus. Drummer Randy Randall’s vocals seem like an afterthought though – monotonous and low in the mix, they add little presence to the album. While Snares is solid, it sadly feels more like a long EP – one that ends before it really gets going. [Ross Devlin] Listen to: Send Me, Secret Swamp

Portland’s eleven-headed indie rock crew Typhoon return with their fourth album, Offerings. Its complex narrative can be emotionally cold at times as the undoubted ambition and intricacy sometimes runs ahead of the hooks. But even on a record that seeks to portray the journey of a fictional protagonist losing his memory, and in turn, his sense of self, there is no shortage of interesting musical distractions on the way. By the end of the record our protagonist has accepted and succumbed to his dreadful fate, leaving an exhausted audience to complete the meaning of it all. Rather like Twin Peaks, Offerings is a sprawling, ambitious record; asking a lot of its listeners but offering plenty in return for their patience. [Max Sefton] Listen to: Rorschach

RECORDS

Follow Them True [From Here, 26 Jan]

Stick in the Wheel are everything people think is absent from folk music; Follow Them True has as much in common with punk, trance, and post-rock as it does with traditional folk, the beauty being in the blurred lines between these seemingly foreign genres. The heavier tracks are the album’s most interesting, allowing for Nicola Kearey to stomp out her vocals with extreme force. Indeed, Kearey’s voice shapeshifts a few times across the course of the album, woven in and out of drones, thudding percussion, and acoustic instruments that have been reshaped into something else. This isn’t a record that allows you to get comfortable – it’s always trying new things, trying to wake you from your lethargy as a listener. [Harry Harris] Listen to: Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green, 100,000 Years

Con Todo el Mundo [Night Time Stories, 26 Jan] Spanish for ‘With Everybody’, or quite literally ‘With all the World’, Con Todo el Mundo is very much a continuation of the globallyinfluenced, guitar-led grooves of 2015’s The Universe Smiles Upon You. While their debut had its roots in 60s and 70s Thai funk cassettes, Con Todo el Mundo has a few more stamps in its passport. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern rhythms seep into this sophomore, which when married to the distinct South East Asian flavours of what Khruangbin do best makes for a lush, warming record blooming with colour and personality. Con Todo el Mundo is a celebration of what shared creativity and influence can bring – something the world needs a bit more of these days. [Will Moss] Listen to: Maria También, Lady and Man, Evan Finds the Third Room

Review

Making Waves From her popular Subcity radio show to an opening slot at last year’s Optimo 20 festival, Sophie Reilly – aka Sofay – is a talented DJ on the rise

“I

t’s kind of funny: I don’t often find myself influenced or inspired by DJs or music; I’m quite an avid reader, so sometimes like passages in books – if I read something with a kind of atmosphere or mood – I end up trying to apply that to the music that I pick. I particularly do that if I’m recording a mix; I’ll try to make it have some sort of linear narrative.” Literature might seem an unlikely source of inspiration for a DJ who spends most of their nights in the middle of dark and noisy dancefloors, but for Sophie Reilly – who performs under the moniker Sofay – her love for books and music are inextricably linked. By day she works for Glasgow Libraries, a job that she describes as “a massive part of my life”; by night, she’s playing the likes of The Art School, La Cheetah, or Sneaky Pete’s as one of Glasgow’s most exciting emerging selectors. “My day job is very different to my nighttime job”, Reilly laughs. “When people ask me ‘what’s that like?’ I say, ‘it’s exactly the way you think it is! I spend all day in a library, and then all night in a nightclub. They are very, very different things.” It was a degree in English Literature at The University of Glasgow that lead Reilly to Subcity Radio, the non-profit radio station based out of the university. “It’s run by students, but it’s more of a community radio station,” Reilly explains. “There’s people from all over Glasgow, and from outside of Glasgow, that come to do a show. And people of all ages as well. I think it’s quite unique in that way in that it’s got a really wide group of people that use it.” It was there that Reilly was able to find an outlet for the kind of music she was interested in – “I fell into a really nice group of friends who were all working at the station at the time, and some of the people that were on the team had kind of similar tastes in music as me,” she explains. When we ask what kind of music that was, she laughs. “At that point, I was actually playing ridiculously fast music that I do not play anymore! I was really into footwork, a lot of Chicago house… so it was very, very fast compared to what I do now. So it’s kind of funny, going from 140 [bpm] or 160, and now I pretty much only play 100 bpm. I kind of went back the way, somehow!” Her radio show enabled Reilly to showcase her wide-ranging tastes; a style that has since seen her handpicked to play alongside the likes of Palms Trax, JM Moser and Optimo, among others. Yet Reilly explains that she never set out with intentions of becoming a DJ. “I was rotten at it, I was completely like a bag of nerves all the time,” she reflects when asked how she made the transition from radio to the club floor. “I dipped my toes in a little and then just thought it wasn’t for me. I was quite happy to still keep doing my show. But then because people got into my show and the music, I started getting offers to DJ around the city, and I would have been totally stupid to turn that down. “I train-wrecked quite a few sets in Glasgow when I was younger,” she laughs, “but I had so much fun doing it – and made lots of really great friends through starting to go out to clubs.” Refreshingly candid when discussing her craft, Reilly describes how a self-taught DJ can be a blessing and curse when starting out, especially as a female in a heavily male-dominated industry. “A lot of people tried to teach me, and I just didn’t really have the patience – I was often getting taught by men who were just being very patronising… as much as they were my friends, I was like ‘OK, I’m just going to do this by myself,’” she states frankly. “You just have to have the perseverance, and a bit of a thick skin. And you also

Review

just kind of have to have a bit of ‘no shame’, and just ask people ‘can I play your club’? She’s also an artist who isn’t afraid to make mistakes, or to experiment in a process of trial-anderror in order to learn and improve her performances. “At first I used a really busted up controller for months and months that I borrowed from a friend, and then I got my own controller. And then after using that I just realized that it was quite limiting in some ways – they’re good for beginners but once I started to play a lot more, I switched to using CDJs.” “I kind of just started using them on a whim in the club; just pressing a button and seeing what happened,” she shrugs with a laugh. Opening the Optimo 20 Festival at Glasgow’s SWG3 complex back in August 2017 was “the highlight of my year,” Reilly exclaims. The festival was widely praised for featuring a line-up packed with talented female acts, including Aurora Halal, Avalon Emerson, The Black Madonna, Apeiron Crew – in fact, it was one of the few electronic festival line-ups that featured more women than men. Reilly agrees that it’s disappointing that in this day and age this is still the exception rather than the norm. “It’s very frustrating, particularly this time of year when you start to see summer festival line-ups getting announced… there’s a particular festival in Glasgow, which I won’t name, but when you see no female names on the line-up, and only one person of colour…” she trails off with a shake of her head. Of what needs to change to make the industry more diverse, Reilly speaks passionately. “Particularly in Glasgow and Edinburgh now, I’ve seen a big shift, in terms of women putting on their own nights as well, not just necessarily women getting

booked. It’s easy enough for a guy to book a woman, but it’s getting women into the positions of booking and promoting and running clubs, because that’s still fairly male dominated.” She continues: “When that changes – when you start to see more women put on clubs – is when you see more women on line-ups. I also have a theory that when there’s more women on the bill, there’s more women in the club. You just seem to be surrounded by more women; it’s certainly a more comfortable environment when there’s a woman behind the decks.”

“ I spend all day in a library, and then all night in a nightclub. They are very, very different things” Sophie Reilly

When asked if she has personally experienced discrimination or disadvantage as a young female in the early stages of her career, Reilly says, “I think when you’re a woman, your mistakes get scrutinised a lot more than men’s mistakes. And that’s the same in all kinds of jobs. If I screw up a mix, that’s going to be talked about a lot more than the guy after me who screws up a mix. That seems

Interview: Claire Francis

like how the cards you’re dealt when you’re starting out as a woman. “It’s a lot of proving yourself,” she admits. In spite of these obstacles, Reilly has more than proven herself as a talent to watch out for. There’s a show with Palms Trax at London’s esteemed Corsica Studios lined up for February, plus a handful of European dates, including Berlin and Copenhagen, on the cards for the coming summer. She still maintains her monthly Subcity show, as well as contributing various mixes to other radio stations such as Livity Sound’s NTS slot. For anyone eager to pursue a career as a DJ, Reilly believes that radio provides an excellent starting point for beginners. “Everyone loves radio. I’m someone that started in radio before becoming a DJ, and usually it’s the other way around. That’s something that I heard recommended a lot by people when you’d say ‘how did you get started’; they’d say try and do a radio show. “Even if you’ve not got a show, try to just do one at home,” she encourages. “Just record a mix, talk on top of it, put it up on SoundCloud, and people will start to share it and hopefully people will take notice of it.” As her DJ career continues to take off, Reilly admits that alongside her hopes to tour further throughout the UK and Europe, there is one thing she plans to work on in 2018. “Talking on the radio,” she laughs. “That’s something you’re born with. I don’t know how much people want to listen to a Coatbridge accent. I’ll be working a lot on my radio voice.” She needn’t worry; from the growing success of her atmospheric sets, it seems that the music speaks louder than words. Sofay plays Sneaky Pete’s, 26 Jan

THE SKINNY

January 2018

CCA Highlights Collaboration is the key to a bright start for the New Year, as CCA becomes home to local and international artists often working together

f you’re hoping 2018 is the year your life becomes less like a soap opera, artist Rehana Zaman’s new exhibition (Sat 10 Feb-Sun 25 Mar) might offer a slightly more honest perspective. The Goldsmiths graduate’s work, expressed through the moving image, and often laced with sardonic humour, delves into the tangled web of our social and private lives. In this piece she uses both documentary and soap opera to express such ideas as how language may sometimes hinder, rather than help, our ability to communicate, and how we find ourselves in friction with the state – both in its threat to have us under surveillance and in our hostility to its control. There’s also one final chance to catch Lilt, Twang, Tremor (until 14 Jan, an exhibition comprising the works of three Scottish artists on the nature of the voice and how it interacts with the world. Hanna Tuulikki is concerned with how the voice becomes the meeting point between ourselves and the environment, while Sarah Rose explores bias and prejudice and how this becomes amplified by such innocuous seeming acts as inflection or translation. Then, in collaboration with musician Donald Hayden, inspired by the writings of the ancient Greek Cynics, Susannah Stark uses the voice to demonstrate notions of power and placement, and the inherent contradictions of modern life. Ten years ago, Lau were a trio of folk musicians. But around them has opened a flourishing creative community. To celebrate their tenth birthday, the events which make up Lau-Land are testament

Words: Ben Venables

to the co-operative endeavours which have developed around them. Scottish folk artist Karine Polwart (Sat 3 Feb, 12.30pm) is on hand to offer insight into making her astounding debut theatre piece Wind Resistance, a poetic reflection with themes from midwifery to ecology, written in collaboration with the Royal Lyceum. And it is the importance of collaboration, and the many forms it takes, which Polwart is highlighting. After all a finished work includes many elements and working relationships, in dramaturgy, direction, movement, sound design and visuals. Following a day of such workshops and talks, Lau-Land ends on a high with a late night party (Sat 3 Feb, 9pm). Join folk musicians Sam Amidon and The Pictish Trail – and also Dundee playwright Jaimini Jethwa – on the night’s guest list. If the next day you need a dose of meditative soul and Thai funk, Texan three-piece Khruangbin (Sun 4 Feb) arrive in Glasgow to offer the help required. Their new release, excellent second album Con Todo El Mundo, translates as ‘With Everyone’ and it reflects the band’s internationalism and ethos of bringing people together. Glasgow Film Festival’s (22 Feb-4 Mar) programme is announced towards the end of January. Expect a feast of premieres, themed screenings and discussions, along with the festival’s signature retrospectives. This year brings screenings celebrating Hollywood’s rebel heroes, along with an Irish film showcase and another highlighting the exciting new talents behind Baltic cinema. As ever, CCA is a festival hub; the Saramago Terrace Bar hosts the Festival Club, offering a perfect place for film buffs to refresh and repair each evening.

Rehana Zaman, Tell me the story Of all these things, 2016, Video still

Rehana Zaman, Lourdes, 2017, Video Still

cca-glasgow.com

Review

ART

THE SKINNY

Night Fever We chat to Glasgow’s original disco don Al Kent about the evolution of his unique sound ahead of his annual Million Dollar Disco party Interview: Claire Francis

wan Kelly’s love affair with disco developed out of the Northern Soul scene, popular in the UK’s clubs over three decades ago. After adopting the performing name Al Kent (borrowed from a Detroit singer of the same name, when Kelly was poised to release a record featuring a ‘very illegal’ sample that required him to use a fictitious name to evade legal repercussions) he went on to launch his own Million Dollar Disco label in the 90s. Despite the success of his imprint, Kelly grew disillusioned with the saturated ‘disco house’ market, which prompted him to turn his focus to his DJ career. He’s been described as ‘Glasgow’s answer to Walter Gibbons’ – the famed American record producer and early disco DJ – yet he admits that there was no particular catalyst behind his obsession with disco. Rather, it grew organically from his love of 60s soul and Motown tunes. “I don’t know when, or why, I started to get more [into disco],” he muses. “Obviously the 70s soul stuff, disco has its roots in that – an awful lot of things cross over; you could say that 70s soul is disco music, and vice-versa.” Kelly established his name with house-styled re-edits and remixes of classic disco samples, but reflecting on the scene during the mid 90s, he reveals that rather than filling a gap in the market, it was “quite the opposite – I think I was kind of jumping on the band wagon more than anything! “I went through a phase, probably like most of my generation did at some point in the late 80s and early 90s, where you were kind of swept up in this whole house music and acid house party scene,” he explains. “My Northern Soul years were also a fantastic time to be alive, but there certainly felt like there was something really happening at

the time of that kind of ecstacy culture thing. You could feel change in the air. “I got swept up in that, and I ended up making music, just because it became a thing you could do. I mean, people were so into it. It didn’t really matter how much effort you put in – or how little effort you put in – somebody would put your record out and people would buy it!” he laughs. “You wouldn’t make a fortune from it, but it was just a kind of cottage industry that you could really be part of.”

“ Obviously you do have to play to a crowd, but without being true to yourself, it’s pointless” Al Kent

The turning point for Kelly came at a gig he’d been booked to play in Croatia, which saw him re-evaluating the style of music he was playing and seeking out a new direction. “I remember going to a record shop and trying to tailor the stuff I was buying to suit [that show], and it was a complete failure,” he says candidly. “That was a moment where a lightbulb kind of came on and I

went ‘Why am I following what I think other people think I should be doing?’ And I think since then it’s really been the best thing that I’ve done, just to play what I really like and what I’m passionate about. Obviously you do have to play to a crowd, but without being true to yourself, it’s pointless.” With a renewed focus, Kelly recorded Better Days by the Million Dollar Orchestra in 2008 – a double album with a 26-piece band released on BBE Records, home to fellow disco aficionados such as Dimitri From Paris and John Morales. He has also released a number of Disco Loves compilations via BBE, carefully-curated selections of disco rarities. This expansive knowledge of all things disco culminates in Kelly’s DJ sets, including his annual Million Dollar Disco party at Glasgow’s Berkeley Suite, which sees Kelly delivering a four hour set full of forgotten gems, rarities and rear-

ranged classics. As he states: “I do like producing, I love making music, but there’s that kind of instant gratification from DJing that you don’t get from making music.” Reappropriated forms of disco are currently creeping back into the mainstream – championed by the likes of the aforementioned Dimitri From Paris, to edits by Australia’s Late Nite Tuff Guy, and the Scandinavian ‘Northern Disco Lights’ movement spearheaded by Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas and Todd Terje. But ask Kelly what disco means to him, and he remains a firm purist. “It all goes back to soul music for me,” he says. “The main ‘strand’ of disco, if you like, that I like is the strings, and the piano, and the nice soulful vocals. I guess the one thing you could say is, authenticity.” Al Kent plays the Million Dollar Disco party at The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow on Saturday 20 January.

Clubbing Highlights Dance yourself warm this January with free parties, fundraisers, plus Glasgow’s annual disco extravaganza Missing Persons Club @ La Cheetah, Glasgow, 5 Jan Feeling skint after the Christmas blowout? Cash flow problems shouldn’t stand in the way of a good night out, so Missing Persons Club are kicking off their 2018 La Cheetah residency by giving the first 50 people through the door free entry (and it’s a mere fiver after the freebies are gone). Get there early, pay nada, and enjoy an inclusive party for the open-minded. Funk Yer Resolutions @ The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 6 Jan Set yourself free from those inhibiting and unrealistically ambitious New Year’s resolutions with the Mind Yer Self crew this January. This fifth Mind Yer Self outing will take the form of a Residents All Night soirée; expect soul, disco, funk, italo and more. All tickets will be available on the door and in the usual Mind Yer Self tradition, all money raised will go to Penumbra Mental Health Foundation, who provide a network of support services across Scotland.

Return To Mono with SLAM & Gary Beck @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 12 Jan Iconic duo SLAM pair up with Glasgow-born producer and DJ Gary Beck for what is guaranteed to be a top class night of hard hitting-tunes in the one and only Sub Club. Overground – Free Rave 004 @ The Mash House, Edinburgh, 12 Jan Another free party, this time in Edinburgh, courtesy of the Overground crew. With two rooms of music, you can get into the party for free simply by clicking ‘going’ on the Facebook event, posting a link to your fave tune on the event wall and tagging the pals you’d like added to the guestlist. Too easy! The Overground parties offer an inclusive environment (gender neutral toilets are available) and plenty of dancefloor-friendly tracks – in order to avoid serious FOMO, get down early for this one.

Million Dollar Disco 2018 @ The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 20 Jan January means the return of one of Glasgow’s most iconic disco institutions, the Million Dollar Disco, featuring the inimitable Glaswegian disco don, Al Kent. Since 2013 these parties have been taking place at The Berkeley Suite and have gained cult status, all thanks to Kent’s unique DJing style that pairs forgotten gems, rarities, and re-edits of beloved classics. Join him for a special four-hour set of pure Saturday night fever. Music is the Answer @ The Poetry Club, Glasgow, 25 Jan TEN resident DJs Ewan McVicar and Cairns Azbraitis join Findlay Stephen to bring you the best 90s house classics all night long. Proceeds from the night will be donated to the Glasgow Association of Mental Health, making this a party with a very worthy cause.

Words: Claire Francis Lionoil: anu & Sofay @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 26 Jan From the radio to the dancefloor, this pairing sees two rising talents bring their broadcasting experience to the club. Anu Ambasna is a London-based selector who also works as a radio host at the likes of NTS, Rinse and BCR. Scottish DJ Sofay cut her teeth at Glasgow’s Subcity Radio before making the transition to DJ sets; last year she opened the huge Optimo 20 party at Glasgow’s SWG3. Expect a broad, invigorating palette of expertly curated music from this duo. Benztekistan @ Flat 0/1, Glasgow, 30 Jan Party collective Benztekistan was started in Glasgow by two French artists, Tallisker & SUN JÙN. This residency takes place on the fourth Tuesday of every month, and for their second edition the outfit have brought in the Belgiumborn, Berlin-based Joris Biesmans. The up-andcoming house talent is a regular at Berlin’s Watergate and has issued releases on John Digweed’s Bedrock imprint. Here’s an excellent opportunity to catch this rising star in the intimate surrounds of Flat 0/1 – with free entry to boot. theskinny.co.uk/clubs

January 2018

CLUBS

Review

To Burns or not to Burns? A whirlwind tour of the poetry happenings for January through Rabbie Burns and beyond

et’s dive right in, shall we? This month we’re giving a whirlwind tour of spoken word happenings across the Central Belt. January – it inevitably means Burns, and it’s up to our favourite poets and programmers to bring their audiences a fresh breath of our boy Rabbie. Thankfully, Summerhall is presenting Burns Unbroke: a multiarts festival not to be missed (25 Jan onwards). It’s a programme full of jewels, but the real gems lie in the spoken word strand. Having hit countless successes in 2017, Flint & Pitch’s Jenny Lindsay is back with A Flyting (27 Jan). Welcoming five of Scotland’s most treasured treats of the written verse, including Liz Lochhead and Billy Letford, each poet will take to the stage with a bespoke set. Expect charming witticisms, hard-hitting humour and ae fond wink to Rabbie. Also at Unbroke on the same night are our favourite provocateurs of poetry Neu! Reekie!, presenting Burns Eruption, a not so tim’rous twist on your classic Burns celebration. Keeping a much hushed line-up under wraps, we can only

shine our dancing shoes and remain in rapturous anticipation for what raconteur hosts Michael Pedersen and Kevin Williamson have in store.

“2018 is set to see the poetry scene go from strength to strength” Burns aside, 13 January signals the return of the Scottish Slam Championship, taking place in Glasgow’s Tron Theatre. Bear witness to 2017’s slam champions battling it out in this annually sold out event. Host Robin Cairns will lead these titans of poetry through a night of trials: passion vs pathos, poignancy vs provocations. The rest of the slam scene continues to

Words: Beth Cochran

thrive in a whirlwind of verse and musical fusions. The Loud Poets, with accompanying band Ekobirds, arrive in 2018 with the third stage of their LPMMPUWCGPT Invitational slam series. Heartbreak Heroes takes place on 25 January in Dram! Glasgow and 26 January at The Mash House, Edinburgh. Expect a flood of catharsis, not one dry eye, and a whole wealth of roof raising rhymes. Fancy something less competitive? Open mic night Inky Fingers are starting the year off with a bang. Situated in Edinburgh’s Lighthouse Books, the feature slot on 9 January is bursting with the incredible talent that is Kirsty Logan. And there’s a change of venue for one of poetry’s most unique slam nights. The Goddamn Debut Slam is back on 12 January, but this time bringing their talent to The Scottish Poetry Library. Send organisers Matthew Macdonald and Lloyd Robinson an email to sign up for an open mic slot, but remember the twist: poets can only perform brand new, unheard and untested work. Don’t fear, though, the Debut Slam is a wholesomely safe and

utterly raucous environment to present in. (email tgddsedinburgh@gmail.co.uk) Hop on back to Glasgow to find Leyla Josephine giving her five star Fringe show Hopeless an outing on 26 and 27 January at Tron Theatre. Hailed as one of the best spoken word performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017, Leyla is a master storyteller and performer who walks the tightrope between the political and the personal with grace and humour. Glasgow regulars Sonnet Youth are back on 17 January at Drygate Brewery to deliver the ultimate spoken word house party, bringing together the most exciting poets, authors, rappers, comedians and musicians for a night of no holds barred performances. Stay tuned for a magic line-up like no other. A true storm of incredible spoken word is lined up for January this barely scrapes the surface. It seems 2018 is set to see the poetry scene go from strength to strength, so be there to witness the cracking launch of a year like no other. theskinny.co.uk/books

The Book of Joan

Goblin

Don’t Call Us Dead

Bloody January

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There is a power in storytelling. There’s a craft to it, a finality in being the one to tell a narrative. Joan of Dirt is dead according to Jean de Man; she was killed in a public spectacle and her story has been replayed to CIEL (a colony on a space station orbiting Earth) for years as a reminder to those who question. But Christine believes, as many others do, that she still lives. In Yuknavitch’s world, Joan of Arc and Christine de Pizan are catapulted to a near-future in a tale of revolution, in which humanity is being rewritten through lies, threats and experimentation, all while the earth below lays crumbling. Often when delving into the post-apocalypse, we find a world dishevelled but people ultimately the same but acclimatising to a new era. Here, they are scorched like the earth, barely recognisable, but holding on to hope. The Book of Joan threads the power of one’s story in many ways. The fire and belief it can instil even in those devoid of sensation and feeling; the protest of etching narratives on your body as a reminder. Joan’s genre-defying life is an enthralling consideration of gender, nature and survival. Brutal, difficult to stomach at times, but a story you cannot cast your eyes from. The Earth is a battleground, destruction of everything is on the line; this is a raw tale that speaks to our times, and it is a story to which you should listen. [Heather McDaid]

The Saltire Awards-winning Goblin shines as one of Scottish Literature’s brightest highlights of 2017. Like all attempts to categorise essentially human things – love, sex, art, identity – the term ‘Scottish Novel’ can quickly constrict, turning in a flash from the helpful outline into a rigid, reductive little box that crushes out most of what the novel is. Rugged Scottish slang and picturesque Edinburgh streets both flow through Ever Dundas’ novel, but so do Nietzsche’s dark ruminations and Terry Gilliam’s carnival imagination. It is a Scottish Novel, a work of magical realism, an Animal Rights outcry. It is all of these things, though not one of them is what it is. It’s an invective against putting things in these kinds of boxes, and of course it is not just that either. Goblin grows up scurrying around a London besieged by air raid sirens and the growing cloud of war. Largely unloved, she wanders the streets mostly undetected. As she runs free, she hears the stories that everyone else ignores: the stories of oddballs and outcasts, the “crazy” people who don’t make any sense. As her last semblance of a ‘home’ crumbles in the Blitz, she is cast across the world, continuing to collect the stories of the other misfit toys and weaving them in to her own. Born in the dark and bursting with light, Goblin and Goblin are completely enchanting. [Ross McIndoe]

Danez Smith’s new collection is a mixture of stream of consciousness, soliloquy and address, by turns searing and soft. To fully convey the intricacy of such a collection here would be impossible; though it is as much music as rhetoric – not forceful in the conventional sense, but an almost-physical call to every vulnerable point of the psyche, until all opens wide and aches with the speaker. Don’t Call Us Dead opens with a haunting sequence ‘summer, somewhere,’ imagining an afterlife inhabited by the souls of black men shot by the police, now in possession of all the security, love and freedom they were not automatically granted on Earth. Chunky poems like Dear White America – an accusatory letter exposing an abusive and contrary motherland – sit alongside sparser concoctions, which lose no power in their brevity. A particular standout, It Won’t Be A Bullet, expresses relief that the poet will not die like ‘…the kind of black man who dies on the news.’ No poem takes a worn path, even in the realms of familiar and widely discussed topics such as HIV, homosexuality, the inevitable effect of race upon one’s outlook, or how a white person’s inborn assumption of liberty can cause ignorance of the racial prejudice inherent in the system: ‘… how does it feel/ to dance when you’re not/ dancing away the ghost?’ A truly unique and resonant read. [Clare Mulley]

Trust the snitch. From the moneyed elite to groupies, and the brutal gangs of an urban wasteland, Bloody January promises a lot in navigating the underbelly of 1970s Glasgow. The moment Detective Harry McCoy failed to trust an unexpected tip-off, he’s set to traverse all of these murky waters as the body count continues to rise. The new gnarly star of the Scottish Noir scene, McCoy fits the archetypal mould of the flawed protagonist. Shady dealings are going on, and he seems no stranger to their ways. Parks brings to life a dark side of Glasgow from decades past in bleak but vivid detail, shirking nothing and likely curling a few toes for the faint of heart on his journey to the bottom of the bloody truth. His style keeps you hooked, each turn making you flip the pages faster, gripped and in search of the answer. Bloody January is a startlingly excellent addition to the Scottish crime scene, even more so as a debut. Detectives, welcome McCoy to your ranks. He’ll likely (and hopefully) be around for a while. [Heather McDaid]

Canongate, 18 Jan, £14.99

Freight, out now

Vintage Books, 18 Jan, £10

By Lidia Yuknavitch

Review

By Ever Dundas

By Danez Smith

BOOKS

By Alan Parks

Canongate, out now, £12.99

THE SKINNY

The Prime of Muriel Spark As we begin the year of Muriel Spark’s centenary celebrations, writers share how she influenced them, making a case for her placement as Scotland’s great writer

Interview: Heather McDaid Illustration: Xenia Latii

“S

he’s by far the best Scottish writer in the last 100 years,” says Alan Taylor, journalist, friend and now editor of the late, wondrous Muriel Spark. “In fact I think the best Scottish writer since Robert Louis Stevenson, and I’d be very happy to argue with anybody who wants to argue it with me!” 2018 marks the centenary of Muriel Spark, and with it comes a year of dedicated celebrations of one of Scotland’s most acclaimed writers. Born in Edinburgh, Muriel was educated at James Gillespie’s School for Girls, then navigated her way through writing, briefly teaching English, and fully focussing on the craft more seriously postwar. Beginning with poetry and literary criticism, her conversion to the Roman Catholic Church in the 1950s was, to her mind, key in her development as a novelist. The Muriel Spark 100 project’s stated aim is to celebrate ‘the life and literary achievements of one of Scotland’s finest and internationally respected writers’ in a year-round programme of events, publications and more. The written word is where Spark captured the minds of most, and so it feels fitting that for her centenary year her work is being reprinted and beautifully repackaged, whether her complete short stories from Canongate, or Virago’s The Observing Eye: The Sayings of Muriel Spark which revels in her wry witticisms and wise words. One key tenet of the year is the republication of all of Spark’s twenty-two novels by Birlinn, edited by Alan Taylor, bright and bold, re-wrapping a lifetime’s work for new and old audiences alike with a stellar list of authors introducing her. Ali Smith, Andrew O’Hagan, Ian Rankin, Louise Welsh – the list goes on, barely skimming the surface of authors ready to sing her praises. Each introduction illuminates not just the wonder of her words, but the depth of impact and relationship readers develop with her. “One of the many delights of a Muriel Spark novel is the way in which the ground shifts so delicately under the reader’s feet,” writes Zoë Strachan in her introduction to Memento Mori, noting a key cornerstone of Spark’s written treasure: “an uncanny knack for making us laugh while making us think.” Allan Massie touches on Spark’s tie to the nevertheless approach, that there was always something to be said on the other side. “One reads, or should read, her novels in this spirit,” he notes in his opening words for The Comforters. “They may seem light as a May morning, airy and insubstantial; nevertheless, they are serious. They make you smile and laugh; nevertheless the reflections they provoke may be dark and grim.” She never followed in anyone’s footsteps, instead creating her own path. She was focussed on her skill, and never pandered to what others expected of her. “She was a remarkable a woman as she was a writer,” adds Alan Taylor. “She forged her own course in life. She pursued her talent to the edges of her ability. She did it on her own terms. She left Scotland, she went to Rhodesia, she went to London, she went to New York and Rome and finally Italy. This is somebody who put art first above all else and there’s something incredibly admirable about all that.” By her second novel Robinson, Candia McWilliam notes, “already she has her great subjects: truth, power, faith, what we may do to pretend or delude ourselves that we have agency in our own lives, what powers an artist, perhaps a novelist, may take to themselves.

January 2018

“Already she has her diction, so clear that it frees the reading mind to apprehend things unsaid, so as to emphasise the layers that lie within speech and thought, in a manner of clear sacramental densities of poetry. Spark was first a poet; and always a poet.” This is a mere glimpse at the depth to which Spark’s words seep beneath the skin, and it’s something that remained a personal challenge throughout her writing career: to keep pushing further. “When she went to the hairdresser, she would say, ‘Make me look different’,” explains Alan Taylor. “That’s what she said to herself before starting to write a book. Let’s write a different book this time. If you go through her work you see developments over time, taking different turns, challenging herself, trying to push herself to the very boundaries of her talent. That’s wonderful, and very, very unusual.” “Just when you think you’ve got a handle on where [Muriel is] taking you, she pulls the rug out from under your feet and leaves you clinging on by your fingertips,” notes author Val McDermid on her own love of Spark’s writing. “She takes risks with narrative; for a writer, there’s so much to learn from the way she plays with form. I love that she’s so provocative. “Spark was one of the first writers I encountered who really challenged me as a reader. She made me pause and think; she made me smile and she offered a wholly different experience of

fiction from anything I’d read before. She provides all sorts of delights to the reader, but we always have to be wary because she will surely doublecross at some point!”

“ This is somebody who put art first above all else and there's something incredibly admirable about all that” Alan Taylor

It’s a common theme: Spark delights, but deceives. Her writing envelopes you and brings you into the world of her pages, but she shifts the world beneath you and takes you to unexpected places. “You either ‘get’ Spark or you don’t,” writes Ronald Frame in The Ballad of Peckham Rye. “She always was different, and became more so with practice. […] In Curriculum Vitae she wrote

BOOKS

‘Readers of novels were not yet used to the likes of me, and some never will be.’” In 2018, it’s time to remind readers of novels – and short stories, and poetry – about the wonders of Spark. Her books are a starting point, with events including an evening at the Usher Hall, Crème de la Crème on 31 January, that promises to be a must-see for all lovers of Muriel Spark. Ultimately, this centenary is set to inspire and celebrate. “[Her work] is the measure against which writers should gauge themselves: Is this the best? Can I do better? Because that’s what Muriel did,” says Taylor. “Muriel as a young girl aged ten or eleven took the poems of really well known poets and said, I can do this better than they can. Well, can this generation of writers do better than Muriel Spark? It would be wonderful to see. “Here we have one of our great, great, great writers who we somehow need to reclaim. We also need to put her centre stage and say to people, look, this is our great writer. This is the person who we should be putting on a pedestal, whose work we should be reading in its entirety and who we should be hymning as much as possible. I don’t think yet even in Scotland we quite appreciate the sort of breadth of her genius and this next year is a fantastic opportunity to do that.” Find more information on the Muriel Spark 100 celebrations at murielspark100.com

Review

In Cinemas The Post

Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon, Matthew Rhys Released: 19 Jan Certificate: 12A

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Steven Spielberg shines a spotlight on the media machine in The Post, a sumptuously stylised 70s docudrama about journalism’s uncomfortable relationship to power. Starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks as Katharine Graham and Ben Bradlee (the publisher and executive editor of The Washington Post respectively), this timely newsroom procedural has the current political climate firmly in its crosshairs. The film opens in the jungles of Vietnam, before shifting to the in-house battles at The Washington Post, where the board are concerned about Graham; despite being the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, she still finds herself having to pander to the patriarchy. Meanwhile Bradlee, a man “sick of reading the news rather than reporting it” is encouraged by her idealistic belief that “quality drives profitability,” especially when he catches wind that The New York Times are about to release the Pentagon Papers – 7000 pages of analyses exposing a massive cover-up of government secrets surrounding the United States involvement in Vietnam. From here a superbly controlled and detailed account of The Washington Post ’s role in the leak unfurls, with Spielberg commendably eschewing sensationalism to focus on the nuts and bolts of the process. Highlighting the role of each individual character, this workmanlike approach creates a level of detachment from its subject that works both for and against the film. On the one hand, observing these reporters and editors put their noses to the grindstone underlines the nobility of the work being undertaken, while also allowing the audience time to draw parallels with current events. However, this dutiful approach also strips the film of any urgency and the larger political contours of the scandal. Despite its dogged methodology, once the ink has dried the message is clear for all to see, with The Post a rousing call for the type of journalism that serves the governed, not the governors. [Patrick Gamble] Released by Entertainment One

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Director: Martin McDonagh Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage Released: 12 Jan Certificate: 15

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It’s been seven months since Mildred’s (McDormand) daughter was raped and murdered, but in the intervening time, no arrests have been made. At her wit’s end by the apparent lack of progress, Mildred erects three huge billboards to try to embarrass the local police department into action. It’s a stunt, however, that leads to serious consequences for Mildred, Police Chief Willoughby (Harrelson), and the residents of the Missouri town of the title. Though Three Billboards is riven with absurd, irreverently dark humour, it is writer-director Martin McDonagh’s sense of humanity that is the film’s most resounding triumph. Though his satirical eye lets no one off the hook, laying out and exposing everyone’s weaknesses, it neither judges nor condemns them either, allowing even the most flawed of Three Billboards’ characters a fair hearing. Indeed, there is something of the confessional about the film. Undoubtedly it is the same sensibility that drove Calvary, the 2014

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

film from for McDonagh’s brother (John Michael McDonagh); though differing in tone and setting, both pictures are rooted in morality, mortal consequence, responsibility and redemption. These themes are clearest in Mildred’s zealous quest for justice, and her determination to shame an apathetic police department is both hilarious and heartfelt. Blinded by grief and driven by a single purpose, her refusal to compromise even slightly, however, suggests an inability to see things from any perspective but her own. This is

Jupiter’s Moon

The Final Year

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Director: Kornél Mundruczó Starring: Merab Ninidze, Zsombor Jéger, György Cserhalmi, Mónika Balsai Released: 5 Jan Certificate: 15

complicated further, firstly by Chief Willoughby, whose seeming indifference to her case belies his own struggles, and later by Sam Rockwell’s racist cop Dixon, who, under all his emasculated insecurity, is in search of his own redemptive arc. Subplots with Peter Dinklage’s amorous James and Mildred’s ex-husband, Charlie (Hawkes), are mined effectively for laughs, but it is Three Billboards’ final, ambiguous moments that pack its biggest emotional punch. [Christopher Matchell] Released by 20th Century Fox

Director: Greg Barker Starring: Barack Obama, John Kerry, Samantha Power, Ben Rhodes Released: 19 Jan Certificate: TBC

There will undoubtedly be many films in the coming years that attempt to tackle Europe’s refugee crisis, but will any of them be dumber than Kornél Mundruczó’s Jupiter’s Moon? In this sluggish, confused parable, Syrian teenager Aryan (Jéger) is attempting to cross into Hungary with his father when he is shot multiple times by border guards. At this point, Aryan begins to levitate, and that’s what he spends much of the subsequent two hours doing, with a cynical doctor (Ninidze) attempting to exploit his abilities for financial gain. What abilities he, has exactly, remains murky – at one point Aryan is capable of turning an entire apartment upside-down – but for the most part he seems content to float beatifically while bystanders gaze upwards in awe. Whatever allegorical import Mundruczó is reaching for gets lost amid the endless swooping Steadicam shots and CGI trickery. Jupiter’s Moon feels like a calling card movie and we’ll surely hear more from Kornél Mundruczó in future, but will he have anything worthwhile to say? [Philip Concannon]

Considering the access that the team behind The Final Year was granted, it’s frustrating that it hasn’t resulted in a better movie. Documentarian Greg Barker spent 90 days following Barack Obama and his team (primarily John Kerry, Samantha Power and Ben Rhodes) during the final months of his presidency, but the 90-minute movie he has assembled feels disjointed and light on revelatory material; and yet, his film will possess a strong emotional impact for many viewers, for reasons outside of the film’s scope. Much of The Final Year emphasises the Obama administration’s belief in diplomacy over antagonism and conflict, and it’s inspiring to watch people determined to leave the world in a better place than they found it, but the twist of Trump’s election at the end of the film is a punch to the gut. Our knowledge that the incoming administration would spend the next year dismantling much of what Obama built gives The Final Year a resonance that it wouldn’t have had if Hillary Clinton had prevailed last November. It already feels like a documentary of a long-lost era. [Philip Concannon] Released by Dogwoof

Released by Curzon Artificial Eye

Coco

Director: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Edward James Olmos Released: 19 Jan Certificate: PG

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The Post

Review

Lover for a Day

Director: Philippe Garrel Starring: Esther Garrel, Louise Chevillotte, Éric Caravaca Released: 19 Jan Certificate: 15

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Coco opens on Mexico’s Day of the Dead in the town of Santa Cecilia, home to young aspiring musician Miguel (Gonzalez), who, through a series of events, ends up transported into the land of the dead where he encounters his ancestors. Despite this realm’s inhabitants being sans heartbeats, it’s a vibrant place. Streets bustle with grinning skeletons as neon-glowing alebrijes fly overhead, and for one night only the dead can visit their relatives in the land of the living via a golden road made of marigold petals. This landscape is as sumptuous as we’ve come to expect from Pixar. Aztec temples transform into the foundations of Mexican villages that are piled higgledy-piggledy on top of one another, the palette a dizzying blend of golden yellows and incandescent purples. It is a feast for the eyes that relishes Mexican culture, and leads towards inclusivity rather than cultural appropriation. Like Up before it, Coco is likely to make you shed a few tears, but here the sadness is met with joy. [Joseph Walsh]

The autumn-spring romance is an unwelcome cliché, but French veteran Philippe Garrel’s bittersweet study in fidelity proves nonetheless compelling. Part of the reason for its success is it isn’t loaded in favour of its paunch-bellied male lead (philosophy professor Gilles), as is the norm. Instead the focus is the tentative friendship that forms between Gilles’ hedonistic girlfriend, Ariane, and Jeanne, his daughter of similar age, who turns up at the lovers’ boho apartment one night after being dumped by her boyfriend. Jeanne’s first words to Ariane are cutting (“you’re not as beautiful as my mother”) while Ariane takes the huff when Gilles makes the mistake of kissing his daughter before her when returning home, but soon this animosity turns to friendship as the women begin to share clothes, dating advice and, crucially, secrets. Quotidian vignettes of the trio’s cohabitation are captured in velvety black-and-white 35mm, while an omniscient female narrator gives this feather-light feature a gently novelistic sweep. Playful ironies trump grand proclamations in Garrel’s cinema, so your heart isn’t likely to soar during this poetic drama, but it might ache with recognition. [Jamie Dunn]

Released by Disney

Released by Mubi

FILM

THE SKINNY

Stage Directions Panto, physical theatre, special screenings and yet more panto, there's a lot to choose from during theatre's 'quiet' month Words: Amy Taylor icking off the month, and indeed, the year, is the National Theatre of Scotland, who unveiled their 2018 season back in November. Their first production, a screen version of the stage play Rocket Post, a stage tour with Screen Machine, begins its tour of communities in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland on 6 January. The play, which premiered in Barra last month, tells the story of Gerhard Zucker and his rocket mail idea for delivering letters at high speed over long distances. The tour, which runs until 3 March, marks the first time the NTS has brought a broadcast screening of a production to cinema audiences, and honours their commitment to bring their work to audiences around the country. While the NTS tours a broadcast version of one production, it also opens a new two day festival in Glasgow’s Civic House from 27 January. Just Start Here is an event where artists and audiences can come together to create and discover new work in the form of music, dance, visual art, discussions, theatre and much, much more. Staying in Glasgow, The Citz’ first production of the New Year is a revival of Rona Munro’s classic

play Bold Girls. Written in 1991, Munro’s awardwinning play explores the lives of a group of three women in West Belfast during The Troubles. Taking place over the course of one night, moving from kitchen to club to home again, this normal night out swiftly unwinds to reveal a series of lies and betrayals set against the turbulent background of Northern Ireland of the early 90s. Highly celebrated, Munro’s play celebrates the lives, strengths and loves of a group of women during a dangerous and unknown time. Meanwhile, for die-hard panto fans, the King’s Theatre in Glasgow continues to play host to ‘The Panto of Your Dreams’, Sleeping Beauty, starring Elaine C Smith and Johnny Mac, until 7 January, while over at the SEC Armadillo, Jack and the Beanstalk soldiers on until the same date. In Edinburgh, the ghosts of pantos past continue to haunt the boards at the King’s Theatre, where it’s still Christmas in January, as The Panto That Refuses to Die, otherwise known as Cinderella, rolls on. Reuniting the unsinkable trio of Allan Stewart, Andy Gray and Grant Stott, who nobly continue the Sisyphean task of pretending

The Claim, UK Tour - Yusra Warsama, Ncuti Gatwa and Nick Blakeley (courtesy of Paul Samuel White)

that it’s still Christmas right into the dark heart of deepest, grimmest January, this panto will end for good, apparently, on 21 January. Stay strong, lads, we believe in you, and it’ll all be over soon. Meanwhile, a little further down the road, at the Traverse, it just wouldn’t be January without a visit from the manipulate Visual Theatre Festival for its signature mix of physical theatre, film, puppetry and all sorts of wonderful performance. Running from 27 January until 3 February, this year’s programme includes Ramesh Meyyappan’s Off-Kilter, the solo performance Achilles, the latest

work from Glasgow-based Company of Wolves and Clown Cabaret: Special Edition from Plutot La Vie, CLoWnStePPinG and Melanie Jordan. The month ends with a one-off performance of The Claim, a new piece of theatre based on interviews with migrants to the UK at Platform on 31 January. Written by Tim Cowbury and directed by Mark Maughan, the piece asks what would happen when all we have to save ourselves from an uncertain future are the words we say in an interview. theskinny.co.uk/theatre

A Synchronology, Install View

A Synchronology Hunterian Art Gallery

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For the Common Guild’s tenth birthday, the Hunterian Gallery is throwing a party to celebrate the comparatively short lifespan of its younger Glaswegian sibling. An impressive array of 10 Common Guild alumni have been invited, and they’re loitering in the temporary exhibition space, discussing temporality through print, performance, and photography. A Synchronology: the contemporary and other times asks its guests to consider time, how we measure it, and how art practice relates to the blurring notions of past, present, and future. The show’s title piece is an 1871 archival text by Steven Hawes, outlining a rationalised and overtly imperial method of understanding human histories. Like the ten-hour decimal clock from Ruth Ewan’s We Could Have Been Anything We Wanted to Be (2011), there’s a novelty to the text, overshadowed by its clunky impracticality and imposed hierarchy.

January 2018

For A Synchronology, foregrounding the present is equally vital as dwelling on the past. Over two years, Simon Starling travelled the world to seek out artworks from a pivotal 1927 sculptural exhibition, curated by Marcel Duchamp. In Pictures for an Exhibition (2013-14) we are aware that the pieces are reunited, not only here in photographs adorning the same wall, but also simultaneously in the present, almost a century later. Likewise, the Common Guild’s 2013 Venice Biennale delegate, Corin Sworn, continues to question the temporal tensions in narratives of the past. The period vases of Temporal Arrangements (2010) take turns to hold a single bouquet of flowers, their styles re-presented and reinterpreted through the present moment. If there’s anything surprising about this party, it’s that a gathering so dense with conceptual work about time avoids inducing fatigue in its guests. Each artist provides sophisticated party chat and avoids cornering you with banal navel-gazing about just how weird time really is. [Jonathan Coward]

Kate V Robertson, Install View

Kate V Robertson Dundee Contemporary Arts

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In an interview with Kate V Robertson in this magazine six years ago there’s mention of the ‘potential for failure inherent in her work.’ In Robertson’s latest exhibition in DCA, this description feels close to the truth, but still requires some elaboration. The use of negative space in This Mess is Kept Afloat alludes to failure, to incompleteness. A floor of concrete sculptures cast from discarded containers stretches out from a mural of boards pasted with the peachy paper of the Financial Times, left without print. A room of 6x4 tiles of unexposed photographic paper slowly changes from the light. The large resin rectangles that hang above form a mosaic suspended in the act of dispersal. Robertson is clearly a tiler; she makes a whole out of separate parts. Artist, audience, environment and material work as equal, distinct tesserae

to co-create her exhibition. The viewer can break concrete tiles to form new arrangements, the photographic paper darkens and the mural’s boards peel like old, colossal flyers. The tiling is a pressing comment on mass disposability but it also relinquishes dictatorial power from the artist. It’s uncharacteristic for a space like DCA to initiate creativity rather than set its standards and consequently the pieces sit awkwardly in their setting. The work rejects the traditional notion that art has to be definite or conclusive, to be anything more than proposition. The potential for failure is inherent in Robertson’s work, but not as we know it. Here, failure acts as the threshold to opportunity. Success is not presenting a perfected object or convincing an audience of a single perspective. Instead, the exhibition accepts plurality, decay and imperfection and is intensely human because of it. [Colm Peare] Until 25 Feb, free

Until 28 Jan, free

ART / THEATRE

Review

Photo: Erika Stevenson

The Cremator

Director: Juraju Hertz Starring: Rudolf Hrušínský, Vlasta Chramostová, Ilja Prachař Released: Out now Certificate: 15

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One of the defining films of the Czechoslovak New Wave of the 60s, Juraj Herz’s blistering 1969 masterpiece The Cremator is political satire, morbid gothic horror and pitch-black comedy all at once. Taking place on the eve of World War II, the nefariously affable Karl Kopfrkingl (an astonishing performance by Rudolf Hrušínský) is a figure fixated on outward appearances as well as having a prurient obsession with death and cremation. As head cremator at his ‘temple of death’ he gesticulates on the importance of ending human suffering (i.e. life) and returning to dust, claiming that The Tibetan Book of The Dead is his bible. When an Austrian friend turns up for dinner with the cremator’s family and begins to feed his psyche with theories on National Socialism, Karl’s descent into fascism, madness and murder begins. There is so much going on in Herz’s film formally and contextually that is hard to encapsulate it in one review. Technically, the film is a bold and disorientating blend of avant-garde technique, from Vertovian quick-cut montages to an inspired use of wide lenses and often perplexing scene transitions where one will overlap the other. The surreal comic moments are to be savoured too: at one point Karl asks his teenage daughter to serenade dining children with Mahler’s Songs on the Death of Children. But it’s the chilling dénouement that lingers the longest, when Karl is seemingly given carte blanche to design industrial-size furnaces for The Party, as he quips, “people wouldn’t even have to be completely dead when they go inside…” An “unstoppable schedule of death” indeed. Extras Pristine HD transfer from the original Czech National Film Archive print where the contrast and sleek black tones of the image is intensely transmitted; interesting and insightful introduction by animators The Quay Brothers; Herz’ first short film Junkshop; illuminating 16-page booklet and recent Projection-booth podcast discussion of the film. [Adam Stafford]

The Man with the Iron Heart

Director: Cédric Jimenez Starring: Jason Clarke, Rosamund Pike, Jack O’Connell Released: 8 Jan Certificate: 15

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Adapted from Laura Binet’s historical novel HHhH, Cédric Jimenez’s World War II biopic recounts the heinous rise of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich and the bold plot to bring him down. It takes an excellent, eclectic cast containing Rosamund Pike, Mia Wasikowska, Jason Clarke and Jack O’Connell, and gives each of them space to shine even if the film around them fails to quite match their lustre. Pike is icy as Lina Heydrich, who builds her husband into the iron-hearted Butcher of Prague. Clarke, as that Nazi leader, meanwhile, is all cold, unfeeling fury. With a springing step and loving eyes, O’Connell plays a plucky young resistance hero. Even Stephen Graham is good, once again stepping right up to the line of caricature in his portrayal of Heinrich Himmler, but never letting a toe slip over. Jimenez draws the very best out of every member of his ensemble while delighting in his own starring role as director, never missing an opportunity to show off his eye for a stylish shot. In an early montage depicting the Heydrichs’ blooming romance, Jimenez skips through a scrapbook of movie clichés – the camera spinning joyously as they dance together, their hands finding one another in the dark of a cinema – with impish delight at the fluffy vision of these two monsters. There are times when his desire to display his visual prowess begins to feel a little overbearing but The Man With The Iron Heart is, without question, a damn fine looking film. Ultimately, though, it never finds a shape for all the talent it contains. The plotting and pace feel undesigned, moving from one scene to the next with little sense of narrative momentum. Each scene itself is so prettily framed and powerfully acted that this absence is felt less during the film than afterwards, the sum of these excellent parts drifting too easily out of memory once the credits roll. [Ross McIndoe] Released by Lionsgate

Released by Second Run

The Éric Rohmer Collection Director: Éric Rohmer Starring: Bruno Ganz, Andre Dussollier, Marie Riviere, Beatrice Romand, Arielle Dombasle Released: Out now Certificate: 15

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Exploring a great filmmaker’s body of work for the first time can be a daunting prospect. Where do you start with someone like Éric Rohmer, who made 24 features over the course of almost 50 years? Fortunately, the Frenchman gave us a number of easy access points into his oeuvre, collecting many of his films into thematic groupings. Arrow’s new ten-film Éric Rohmer collection is built around his six-film Comedies and Proverbs series; a cluster of beautifully crafted films that are emblematic of the style and themes that were consistent across his career. Many of these films are masterpieces, although they’re the kind of deceptively simple masterpieces that don’t immediately reveal their greatness. You might spend the first half of The Aviator’s Wife or The Green Ray wondering where exactly this talky drama and casual, meandering rhythm is leading us, but the film’s emotional depth sneaks up on you.

Review

DVD

Beyond this sextet, Arrow’s release shines a light on some of Rohmer’s lesser-known works. His 1993 film The Tree, the Mayor and the Mediatheque is an unusually pointed political satire, while Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle is arguably his funniest picture – it almost feels like a Rohmerdirected sitcom. All ten of these astonishingly rich films are immediately engaging and reveal new depths with every revisit, and newcomers to Rohmer’s world will undoubtedly be left hungry for more. Extras Rohmer fans have already been well-served on blu-ray with Potemkine’s exhaustive 2013 set, but the English-language extras included here make Arrow’s release feel like a valuable addition. Éric Rohmer himself provides introductions to each of the Comedies and Proverbs instalments while avowed fan Richard Ayoade intelligently discusses the director’s style and legacy. There is also a treasure trove of archive content here, including on-set footage, documentaries and interviews with numerous Rohmer collaborators. Among these, perhaps the standout is the hour-long profile of the great cinematographer Néstor Almendros, the man whose mastery of light is shown off superbly by these new transfers. [Philip Concannon] Released by Arrow Video

THE SKINNY

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Man Vs Dog

Gilded Balloon: 2018 Highlights

Double comedy award winner John Kearns chats with Fringe Dog about happiness, collaborations and marmalade ahead of his Glasgow and Edinburgh tour dates

Gilded Balloon bring new life to the comedy, cabaret and theatre scenes with an inspiring programme and new venue in the heart of Edinburgh’s West End

Interview: Fringe Dog

Words: Ben Venables

John Kearns

it long time between 2014 show shtick & new one , which now comin to scotland on briliant tour !! durin intervenin years i suffer what vet call “separation anxiety” , which polite way of sayin i chewin up all my belongings ... because i miss you teribly mr john !! i know you pop up here and there , but how you spend the time ?? I baked a loaf of bread. Bought all the gear. A 62 year old sourdough starter, a panebois for the loaf, dough scraper, water sprayer, a pair of hessian oven gloves and a tea towel to rise the loaf under. I also had a breakdown, wrote a Christmas show and appeared on Cats does Countdown twice, respectfully. in a way stand-up can look like lone wolf activity ,, but you mr john often travel in pack . how important was bein part of weirdos comedy collective , the bearpit podcast and workin with excelent director jon brittain been to your comedic evolution ?? We are an island people, we take pride in going it alone. There’s a projected dignity in being, as you say, a lone wolf, someone who doesn’t need help, who doesn’t compromise and works in the utmost secrecy. A lot of the great modern American comics were nurtured through writers’ rooms, improvisation schools, the dream of being on SNL. We don’t have that culture over here, so working with the Weirdos and recording The Bearpit Podcast (Podcast) is where I can let off steam and enjoy the thrill of failing together. As for Jon, he’s an Olivier winning playwright and a friend of mine for over a decade whose input is invaluable.

January 2018

i know you big fan of paddington bear !! is the cafe owner you talk about in current show a mentor – like paddington have mr gruber ?? That’s a lovely comparison, though you’d have to substitute Mr Gruber’s knowledge of 18th Century Georgian furniture with the cafe owner’s clever technique of charging you for two sausages but serving a sausage cut in half and laid flat. in you opinin , is it the winalot or the takin part that count ?? You have to take part to winalot. I’ve wonalot. I owe my career to winalots. you once make joke about dog drivin train . i would catch any train with you drivin mr john !! you omit to mention what breed of dog was drivin and what made that breed such terific engine driver ?? In my mind it was like Mabel, the Border Collie Cross that was on Blue Peter for 14 years. She had one blue and one brown eye. Massive tongue. Blue Peter training would mean she would know her way around a train I imagine.

Comedy A raft of quality Fringe shows bring the animated atmosphere of Edinburgh in August to all seasons of the year. Comedy award winner Richard Gadd, and award nominees Elf Lyons (best show) Mat Ewins (best show) and Brennan Reece (best newcomer) are just four highlights of a programme which is set to see about four shows per month. Comedians booked in include Charlie Baker, Alasdair Beckett-King, Desiree Birch, Catherine Bohart, Damien Clark, Grainne Maguire, Tom Stade and Fin Taylor. Damian Clark kicks off these Fringe hours with his new WIP show on 11 Jan, followed by Ray Bradshaw with Deaf Comedy Fan (18 Jan), a standup show told simultaneously in two languages: his second language – English – and his first – British Sign Language. Bradshaw also comperes one of the first weekly comedy line-up nights The Comedy Show (12-13 Jan) with Damian Clark headlining. Fern Brady (19-20 Jan) headlines the following week with Billy Kirkwood on compere duties. There’s also a chance for UK audiences to catch joint winners of Melbourne International Comedy Festival best newcomer award, Angus Gordon and Aaron Chen, who play a double bill show (14 Jan). Gilded Balloon also continues to showcase and support emerging talent with regular comedy night Nodha (7 Feb), a monthly testing ground for new and experienced comedians alike.

(14 Jan) starts a monthly residency at The Basement Theatre. His first guests were indomitable stand-up Tom Stade and Edinburgh’s iconic crime writer Ian Rankin. Stories and Stovies (25 Jan) is a new thematic storytelling night curated and hosted by adept compere and stand-up Jay Lafferty. The night is for anyone with a story to tell, so take along your inner raconteur. What’s more, the stovies are included in the ticket price. An established and essential night on the comedy scene, Watch Bad Movies with Good Comedians also arrives for a monthly residency (13 Feb). Big screen botch jobs are resurrected with live narration and insight from gifted comedians Joe Heenan and Billy Kirkwood. Their opening film is an inspired choice for which their humour will act as kryptonite: Superman 4 – The Quest for Peace. Then there’s the hybrid literary salon and house party that is Sonnet Youth (20 Feb). Spoken word artist Kevin P Gilday and screenwriter Cat Hepburn bring together poets, authors, rappers, comedians and musicians for a night of audacious performances. Cabaret Dive Queer Party (5 Apr) is an unparalleled night of spoken word, music and comedy, which has evolved from a regular night in a small basement venue into a cabaret collective. It defies the mainstream and knows how to celebrate diversity and openness: late into the night, on the dancefloor and with a raucous soundtrack. Details of the full Gilded Balloon programme can be found online: gildedballoon.co.uk

Monthly Residencies Accomplished comedian and presenter Fred MacAulay’s chat show In Conversation with...

you a more surreal than politcal animal , i think ... as former 5star tour guide for houses of parliament , did you ever feel urge while on sensible walkies , to play job , how you say it , ‘tongue in cheek ‘ ?? I did that job for four years and was very serious. I enjoyed playing that role. I didn’t have an urge to make a tour group laugh. It was almost like a perverse reversal from my night job. can i smell marmalade on your beard ?? It is. It’s Wilkins & Sons ‘Old Time’ Fine Cut Peel Orange Marmalade. I bought a jar of Japanese marmalade which is made from the Yuzu fruit but I found it too sweet. Seville Orange every time. John Kearns: Don’t Worry They’re Here, The Stand, Glasgow, 29 Jan, 8.30pm, £10 – Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, 30 & 31 Jan, 7.45pm, £9-12

Desiree Burch

COMEDY

Review

Photo: Téan Roberts

Fringe Dog: o boy !! in new show don’t worry they’re here , you more wistful ... old flames are gettin married , friends drift away . so i will start with easy & soft ball question ,, are you happy mr john ?? what is hapiness to you ?? John Kearns: Happiness for you I imagine is a good walk, a scratch behind the ear, food, sticks, a good puddle and a blanket to get under at the end of the night. In many ways we’re similar. I don’t think being happy should be a life goal, being OK is the Holy Grail. Happiness is fleeting, surprising and is warm and bright.

Photo: Richard Davenport

remarkable number of artists and events make up Gilded Balloon’s 2018 programme which sees the Edinburgh Festival mainstays break out of August to introduce year-round programming to the capital. It includes weekly comedy nights, a year round roster of Fringe shows and regular monthly residences, turning the Basement of the Rose Theatre into a social and cultural hub.

Win a dinner for two for Win a meal for four to Paesano Pizza a year at Trenchtown C

hristmas might well be over, but we've got one heck of a Caribbean culinary themed present for you. How would you like the chance to win dinner for two at Trenchtown Caribbean Social Club every month for a year? The prize takes the form of 12 vouchers for two main courses and two drinks, which will be valid over 12 consecutive months. You'll be able to feast upon everything from Bone Jerk Chicken served with coconut rice and peas, Garlic and Chilli BBQ King Prawns, Babi Bak Ribs and Supa Green Salad. In 12 visits, you might even tick off the entire menu. A meal at Trenchtown comes highly recommended by our readers, as it’s been voted among the Best Restaurants and Best Newcomers in Scotland in our annual food and drink survey. To be in with a chance of winning 12 meals for two at Trenchtown, simply head to theskinny. co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question:

ou might have noticed that The Skinny and our readers are big fans of Paesano Pizza – they voted the Glasgow restaurant among Scotland’s Best Restaurants and Best Pizza places in our annual readers’ food survey. It’s not just us who love their authentic Neapolitan pizza: Paesano have also been crowned UK’s No.1 pizzeria by TripAdvisor and Stylist magazine. It’s easy to see why everyone goes crazy for Paesano. The first to bring authentic Neapolitan pizza to Scotland, their pizzas are made to Verace pizza Napoletana standard in woodfired ovens made in Naples, which cook the pizzas at an intense heat of 500°C, producing a light, soft, digestible crust that’s aromatic and delicious. To win a meal at Paesano for you and three friends – which will include drinks, desserts

and coffees as well as the pizzas – at either of Paesano’s Glasgow restaurants, simply head to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question: At what temperature do the Paesano ovens reach to cook an authentic Neapolitan pizza? a) 150°C b) 500°C c) 1000°C Competition closes midnight Sun 28 Jan. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms For more info, head to paesanopizza.co.uk

What dish is traditionally served with Jerk Chicken? a) Rice and peas b) Potato and peas c) Pasta and peas

Paesano Pizza

For more info, head to trenchtownsocial.com

Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival

Win tickets to Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival E

dinburgh Wellbeing Festival (27-28 Jan, Assembly Rooms) brings together some of the biggest names in health, fitness and wellness from internationally-renowned yoga teachers to celebrity chefs, nutritionists, doctors and bestselling authors including Tom Kerridge, Shona Vertue, Finlay Wilson, Chloe Madeley, Jasmine Hemsley and many more. The festival offers a revitalising weekend of yoga and fitness classes, guided meditations, talks and workshops on healthy eating, mindfulness and emotional health plus delicious food, massage and free health advice. Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival is brought to you by City of Edinburgh Council and Good Thinking, in partnership with Yellow Kite books, Tribe Yoga, Pure Gym, Nuffield Health and lululemon.

We've five pairs of tickets to Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival to give away. To be in with a chance of winning a pair, simply head to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question: Which Michelin-starred chef will appear at January’s Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival? a) Gordon Ramsay b) Tom Kerridge c) Heston Blumenthal Competition closes midnight Tue 23 Jan. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms To buy tickets to Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival and for more information, head to edinburghwellbeingfestival.com

Win Paramore Tickets G

rammy award-winning rock band Paramore are back in Glasgow, bringing their biggest hits as well as mint fresh tracks from new album After Laughter to The SSE Hydro on 20 January. After a triumphant return to the UK in 2017, their new tour takes Hayley Williams and co to the UK’s biggest arenas – so expect something special! We are offering one lucky winner the chance to win a pair of tickets! To be in with a chance of winning and kicking off 2018 with one of the biggest gigs of the year, simply head to theskinny. co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question: What is the name of Paramore’s lead singer? a) Hayley Watson b) Hayley Williams c) Hayley Williamson

Competition closes midnight Sun 14 Jan. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms For more info on Paramore’s UK tour and to buy tickets, head to paramore.net

COMPETITIONS

Paramore

THE SKINNY

Photo: Rory Barnes

Trenchtown Carribean Social Club

Competition closes midnight Sun 28 Jan. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms

Glasgow Music Fri 12 Jan

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: BOOHOOHOO (THE LITTLE KICKS + NOAH NOAH + OH JAY) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

The electro pop band BooHooHoo return to Glasgow.

DAWN RAY’D (UNYIELDING LOVE + DROVES + DARK HABITS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

Liverpudlian anarchist black metallers.

Sat 13 Jan

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: OCEVNS (TWENTY FOUR + BAD HOMBRES + LOST HORIZONS) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Anthemic alternative rock band from Glasgow.

THE KIDNEY FLOWERS (FAT BLACK CATS)

Wed 03 Jan SCRAM STANDS UP

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £3

Live music at Sleazys.

Thu 04 Jan

NEWBORN SESSIONS PRESENTS: JACK VIZE (ADAM FRAME + LOUIS PAGE + CONNOR FYFE + KELSEY JONES)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £8

Glasgow acoustic singer/songwriter leads a line-up of local acts. BRIDAL SHOWER

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Mon 08 Jan

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: REDWOOD RIDGE (THE BLUE LIGHTS + PARIAH SOUL + DIRTY OLD RED) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Five-piece original and diverse rock band from Ayrshire, Scotland. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free.

DIY punks from Glasgow.

Tue 09 Jan

Fri 05 Jan

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £24.15

NOSTALGIC (KINGS OF UNITY + MICHAEL COSTELLO + WES READER)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £8

Formed in mid-2016, post-punk four-piece Nostalgic play a mix of originals and songs from an era of music that has inspired many of today’s artists.

Sat 06 Jan SINGLE BY SUNDAY

O2 ABC, FROM 18:00, £10

Glasgow’s own, Single by Sunday bring a high level of pop sensibility and infectious catchiness. THE SOURCE REUNION

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 20:00, £20

Enjoy original Source visuals and a massive sound system rocking the ultimate Oldskool line up of DJ’s, PA’s and MC’s.

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: THE DUNTS (MOON STRANGER + THE MOTION POETS + THE NAKED FEEDBACK) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Four-part punk rock band from Glasgae. ORION’S BELT (BIG HOGG)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Live music at Sleazys. THE KICKS

MAGGIE MAY’S, FROM 20:00, FREE

With a repertoire that stretches from ABBA to Zeppelin and back again, The Kicks are guaranteed to fill your dance floor. THE TOPIC + CORTNE + THE STONED IMMACULATE + SHIVA

THE RECORD FACTORY, FROM 19:45, £4 - £5

Indievous Presents Indie Rocks indie, blues and rock ‘n’ roll.

Sun 07 Jan

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: MATT SCOTT (CRAWFORD MAC + NOAH + LUKE LA VOLPE) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Scottish Singer/Songwriter setting about the world a wee bit. SAMMY’S OPEN MIC NIGHT

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 20:00, FREE

Monthly, popular open mic night with house band The Bucks. Get down early to guarantee a seat or a performance slot.

THE HUNNA

Renowned for their electric live show, the band broke out onto the indie scene with their debut album 100 back in August 2016. KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: LAYAWAY (ATLAS RUN + GET OUT STRONG + DON’T LOOK DOWN) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Big, melodic rock sounds from four veterans of the field. SOMEONE LIKE YOU – THE ADELE SONGBOOK

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £23

Hand-picked by Adele herself, Katie Markham has the show-stopping voice and captivating charisma to deliver all your favourite Adele hits in an enthralling concert performance. BIG BOYS KARAOKE (GALOSHINS + BLOKE MUSIC)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £3

Live music at Sleazys.

Psych and shoegaze from the selfprofessed fast food enthusiasts. SEAWAY

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £11

Canadian pop-punk band tour the UK. LONG EARTH

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Long Earth came together by a series of fortunate but unexpected coincidences, with the principal from the outset to create a musical adventure with no preconceived plan of the final destination.

Sun 14 Jan

GLORIOUS TRACES FAMILY MATINEE CONCERT: STEVIE JACKSON

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 16:00, TBC

A new series of matinee concerts in association with Creative Scotland from The Glad Cafe and The Glad Foundation.

Mon 15 Jan

ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free.

Tue 16 Jan

Thu 11 Jan THE SKIDS

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £30

A 40th Anniversary Tour show from the Fife punk rock and new wave band. HAIRBAND

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: FAUVES (WALT DISCO + THE VIGNETTES + SNACK VILLAIN)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Glasgow-based band, consisting of Ryan Caldwell, Ciaran Devlin, Jonny Glass and Rory Bradley.

Mon 22 Jan

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £10

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

DAVID RAMIREZ

Native Texan David Ramirez released his latest studio album We’re Not Going Anywhere in September, painting a vividly imagined picture of contemporary America. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: JIM MALCOLM AND AVOCET

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £14

Jim Malcolm sings the traditional songs of Scotland and his own masterfully crafted songs in a style which is modern and accessible, yet utterly authentic. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: THE ONE ENSEMBLE

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £13

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: IKARI (TAKE TODAY + PAINTING ROCKETS + BROTHERS)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Post-hardcore band from Glasgow. ASTRAL RETAIL: AN EXHIBITION W/ MUSIC PROVIDED BY CHRIST VOLCANO

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Observe from the perspective of their current chosen skin suits, the experience of the fitting room of life, a botanical flesh farm and a plethora of obsessively friendly noises and movement.

Wed 17 Jan

ROBERT SOTELO GROUP (LUSH PURR + COMMIE CARS) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £3

A night of psych, pop, indie, dreamy weirdness and good vibes.

LANKUM WITH STICK IN THE WHEEL

Far removed from conventional perceptions of pure-drop authenticity, both of these acts rekindle folk music’s primal rawness, grit and anti-establishment spirit. STEEL PANTHER (INGLORIOUS + WAYWARD SONS)

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £30

The glam-rock stars are coming back to the UK for the Lower The Bar tour. Expect things to get wild.

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: THE NINTH WAVE (ACRYLIC + DAS PLASTIXX + LE THUG) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Noise-pop four piece from Glasgow, influenced by 80s new wave and goth pop music creating their own unique identity. Brooding synths, jagged guitars and female against male vocals carve this sound.

FREAKENDER PRESENTS: DUDS (KAPUTT + BANANA OIL) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

A tight Mancunian five-piece that is centred around sharp bursts of rhythmical energy. ALASDAIR ROBERTS IN COLLABORATION WITH JOASIHNO

PLATFORM, FROM 19:00, £7.50 - £12.50

As part of Celtic Connections, German electronic duo Joasihno, featuring Nico Sierig and Cico Beck, collaborate with acclaimed Scottish folk musician Alasdair Roberts to interpret aspects of Scottish and German folk music. BROWNBEAR

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8

Musical collective led by singer/ songwriter Matt Hickman, whose debut single Dead or Alive gained them national radio exposure and high profile gigs. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: SWARB! IT SUITS HIM WELL

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £16

An all-star tribute to the late great English fiddler, singer and songwriter Dave Swarbrick.

Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 19:30, £14.50

Blues with a very broad brush, from epic prog anthems to stripped back piano ballads.

CATFISH

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: DOGHOUSE ROSES (JOHN ALEXANDER + MANDULA & HEPHZIBA)

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: GAELS LE CHÈILE @ CEÒL ‘S CRAIC

Celebrating the contemporary kinship between Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaeilge traditions, this youthful triple bill welcomes Dublin visitors Imlé, BBC Young Folk Award winner Mischa MacPherson and Glasgow-based sextet Trip.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £10

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £6 - £8

Folk-blues duo influenced by the rich musical heritage of the their hometown of Glasgow, along with the fingerpicked guitars and heartfelt tales of many dusty storytellers.

DE ROSA

Lanarkshire trio perform tracks from their third studio album Weem. PARAMORE

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £29.50 - £42.50

Hayley Williams takes her Titanesque lungs back on tour. Sold out, obviously. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: TREMBLING BELLS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £12

Trembling Bells have been likened to the Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention, by way of Shirley Collins and Sandy Denny.

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £14

Helicon’s new album is a collection of sprawling and expansive Eastern-sounding psych-rock.

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 19:30, £6 - £10

Accomplished vocalist, songwriter, producer and performer from Long Beach, California, who helped form hip-hop trio Ugly Duckling in the mid-90s.

Fri 19 Jan

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £16

One of Scotland’s most popular progressive folk acts as the 21st century dawned, Croft No. Five introduced a swathe of then-upstart talents, forging a highly influential fusion of trad, funk, world and EDM elements.

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £22.50

PARAGON MUSIC: AN EVENING WITH ZAC SCOTT AND PARAGON HORIZONS MUSICIANS

ANDY COOPER

Edinburgh band, who use their different musical backgrounds and a wide variety of instrumentation to compliment the eclectic sound they create.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: CROFT NO. 5 AND DOSCA

French pianist, vocalist, improviser and composer Delphine Dora and French guitarist and composer Mocke perform tracks from their collaborative album, Le corps défendant.

Reprising their double bill at Celtic Connections 2016, Scotland’s Skerryvore and Ireland’s We Banjo 3 prepare to raise the roof of Glasgow’s most fabled venue.

Sat 20 Jan

Made up of members Joey Fleming, Ian Berg, Eric Ruelas, & Omar Sultanim, the band has been shaping a unique sound that is best displayed through their debut full length release Unfamiliar.

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £9

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

DELPHINE DORA & MOCKE (PEFKIN + SHOLTO DOBIE & BEN PRITCHARD)

HELICON (SPECIAL GUEST DJS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

A showcase of original music from new Scottish singer-songwriter Zac Scott, whose unique style has a reflective and provocative feel.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: BROKEN RECORDS (WOJTEK THE BEAR)

SKERRYVORE AND WE BANJO 3

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Young Glasgow-based four-piece.

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8

With a freshly squeezed new EP spread on a hot slice of Warburton’s mathy-indie-rock.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

A night of live music from across the country.

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:30, £22

A collaborative triple bill of up-and-coming soul talent, highlighting the genre’s 21st-century vibrancy.

Wed 10 Jan

STRUGGLETOWN PRESENTS: MILKTOAST + ANTIGUO + SLOWLIGHT

THE TRANSMISSION SESSIONS

The One Ensemble will perform Saint Seven – a 45-minute piece of music that is utterly original and daringly unique using cello, guitar, bass clarinets, percussion and voices.

KING TUT’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION 2018: SWAY (PRETTY VILLAIN + THE VANITIES + PLASTIC POETRY)

IN HER OWN WORDS (FOR THE WIN + BETTER THAN NEVER + VICTORY LANE)

All-female band from Glasgow.

January 2018

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Thu 18 Jan

Sun 21 Jan LADIES OF SOUL

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:30, £15

LOUISE: INTIMATE & LIVE

One of the UK’s most successful female recording artists of all time and with a body of work spanning nearly 25 years, Louise will be revisiting some of her biggest hits. OLD GUARD (PERFECT BLUE )

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Fairly new skramz rockers featuring members of Black Channels and Mesa Verde. SEXTILE

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8

This LA four-piece outfit has all the makings of a revolutionary sound, combining the raw energy of 70’s punk with the intricate structural elements of 80s post-punk and synthwave. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: BOO HEWERDINE BAND & MARIANNE MCGREGOR

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £16

Reflective, retrospective lyrics from Boo Hewerdine’s new album, Swimming in Mercury. MERCURY: THE ULTIMATE QUEEN TRIBUTE

THEATRE ROYAL, FROM 19:30, £23.50 - £38.50

Winners of the National Tribute Awards 2013, Mercury have firmly established themselves as one of the world’s most authentic tributes to Queen.

SOUNDING: MODERN STUDIES & LOMOND CAMPBELL WITH THE PUMPKINSEEDS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ST LUKE’S, FROM 20:00, £14

At SOUNDING, two of the most progressive and highly regarded new Scottish acts present their unique brand of pastoral and lyrical pop, enhanced by intricate arrangements played by renowned ten-piece string section the Pumpkinseeds.

START TO END: JONI MITCHELL – COURT AND SPARK

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:30, £13.50

Rachel Lightbody and Tom Gibbs, alongside members of Admiral Fallow, Pronto Mama, Fat-Suit and other special guests take on Joni Mitchell’s classic album. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: MICK HARGAN & THE VINTAGE APOLLOS (13 CROWES + ERIN PONSONBY) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

The headline debut for Mick Hargan & The Vintage Apollos, mixing Hargan’s emotive powerhouse performances with the virtuoso high energy musicianship of The Vintage Apollos.

Thu 25 Jan

ASKING ALEXANDRIA & BLACK VEIL BRIDES

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £32.60

Enjoy an explosive performance from two of the greatest bands in modern rock. MONGOL HORDE

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £15

English hardcore punk band formed in 2012, featuring Frank Turner on vocals, Ben Dawson on drums and Matt Nasir on guitar. THISCLOSE (BLOKE MUSIC)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

A product of the shared vision of founding members Rodney Shades and Sunny De Beat, who wished to create music inspired by the legendary Discharge. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: GREATER BELFAST

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £18

Matt Regan’s personal exploration of Belfast’s history matching poignantly heartfelt lyricism with caustic black humour, with the Cairn String Quartet.

ERRANT MEDIA PRESENTS UPSTAIRS (THE POOCHES + STEPHEN MCLAREN + HENRY AND FLEETWOOD + ERRANT BOY) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS , FROM 19:00, £7

Popular Leith night goes west for an eclectic Glasgow special. PAUL BARAN (PHOSPHENE + SEBASTIAN LEXER)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:00, £6

Glasgow based composer/improviser Paul Baran is joined by the moniker of influential musician/ radio programmer John Cavanagh, Phosphene, and top improviser Sebastian Lexer.

Tue 23 Jan

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW – CARLA EASTON, ZOE BESTELL & THE MISS’S

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:30, £16.50

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS

You’d be hard pressed to find another singer who’s ever worked as hard as Fields, a man who’s been making soul and funk anthems since 1969. START TO END: JOHN MARTYN – SOLID AIR

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:30, £13.50

On the second Start to End night for Celtic Connections, Sam West and special guest musicians provide a live band interpretation of John Martyn’s seminal album.

A SHOCKER IN GLOOMTOWN: A SALTY SALUTE TO GUIDED BY VOICES

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Tribute to Guided By Voices.

HOLY BOUNCER (BLACK CAT REVUE + SHREDD) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

TeenCanteen’s Carla Easton heads up a specially curated night from the people behind celebrated Glasgow members-owned record label Last Night.

Fri 26 Jan

JOHN COLETTA & THE HUMPFF FAMILY REVIVAL

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

Dance-able, sing-able, musically robust and entertaining, the band that deserved to be huge is older, wiser and better than ever. INFEXIOUS LOVES HARDSTYLE

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 21:00, £17 - £40

A night of hardcore and hardstyle with a line-up, including Frontliner, Joe Craig and Frequencerz. DEADLY INSCRIPTION (CEREBRON)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Mixing 70s sounds with more current stuff, the Barcelona five-piece have achieved a mix of psychedelic rock that they name hippie rock.

High-energy UK metallers formed back in 2006 by guitarist Ryan Peacock and drummer Colin Campbell.

Wed 24 Jan

MONO, 19:30–23:00, £5

THE DESLONDES

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

The New Orleans five-piece have drawn critical acclaim for their studied and inventive take on New Orleans country and R’n’B. HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £17.50

LA group fusing rap with metal, with each member donning a mask and pseudonym.

LYLO

Local indie jazzers release their new album Post Era. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: GREATER BELFAST

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £18

Matt Regan’s personal exploration of Belfast’s history matching poignantly heartfelt lyricism with caustic black humour, with the Cairn String Quartet.

THE KICKS MAGGIE MAY’S, FROM 20:00, FREE

With a repertoire that stretches from ABBA to Zeppelin and back again, The Kicks are guaranteed to fill your dance floor.

GLORIOUS TRACES FAMILY MATINEE: MEILYR JONES

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 16:00, TBC

A new series of matinee concerts in association with Creative Scotland from The Glad Cafe and The Glad Foundation. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: THE GLAD COMMUNITY CHOIR & FRIENDS

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £13

The Glad Community Choir celebrate their 5th birthday by inviting some very special friends to join them for a journey through their eclectic repertoire, including Aidan Moffat and Steev Livingstone. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: CHARLIE STRAW (NORTHERN CENTRAL)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

Charlie Straw’s music sits somewhere between blues and folk, with his sets consisting of calming songs mixed with a dark, soulful edge.

Sat 27 Jan

THE 4 OF US AND LIZABETT RUSSO

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

Formed and fronted by Newry-born brothers Brendan and Declan Murphy, the duo have developed a unique musical identity which has produced original and awardwinning recordings. LORD HURON

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £16

LA-based folk pop outfit formed around Chicago native, Ben Schneider. SIMPLE PROMOTIONS PRESENTS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Promotions company from Edinburgh trying to show you some of the best talent. WAND

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £11

Los Angeles-based psych-rock outfit. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: GREATER BELFAST

TRON THEATRE, FROM 14:00, £18

Matt Regan’s personal exploration of Belfast’s history matching poignantly heartfelt lyricism with caustic black humour, with the Cairn String Quartet. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: GREATER BELFAST

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £18

Matt Regan’s personal exploration of Belfast’s history matching poignantly heartfelt lyricism with caustic black humour, with the Cairn String Quartet.

THE SPOOK SCHOOL ALBUM LAUNCH

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £5 - £10

The Spook School are back with a new album Could it be Different? Celebrate with them and some special friends and guests.

MUSIC’S NOT FOR EVERYONE WITH ANDREW WEATHERALL

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 20:00–22:00, FREE

This will be the most intimate MNFE so far, as the ALFOS rocket is landing back at The Berkeley Suite.

THE DESERTFEST TOUR W/ FATSO JETSON + ALL SOULS + HEADLESS KROSS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £10 - £13

Desertscene have teamed up with Brooklyn Brewery to bring you The Desertfest Tour. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: GREATER BELFAST

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £18

Matt Regan’s personal exploration of Belfast’s history matching poignantly heartfelt lyricism with caustic black humour, with the Cairn String Quartet.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: ALESSI’S ARK (CHRISSY BARNACLE + MOLLY LINEN) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

The musical project of Alessi Laurent-Marke, a British singersongwriter from Hammersmith in West London.

Listings

Edinburgh Music Tue 02 Jan

Tue 16 Jan

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke.

Fri 05 Jan

Thu 18 Jan

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, FREE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 19:00, TBC

SERENE

Post-hardcore vibes infused with catchy melodies and brutal breakdowns.

Sat 06 Jan

ROCKETFLAIRE (28MPH)

THE BOTTOM LINE (LACEY) AUDIO, 18:30–22:00, £10

Contributing a fresh sound for younger audiences and a modernised take on nostalgic Pop-Punk for an older generation, The Bottom Line provide a unique offering, priding themselves on energetic live performance.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: MARNIE (KELORA) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

The solo project of Helen Marnie, lead vocalist, co-songwriter and keyboardist in electronic band Ladytron.

Sun 28 Jan THE AMERICANS

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:30, £15

The Americans perform original rock & roll with deep roots in traditional American music. THE DAMNED

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £26

Hot off the success of their 40th anniversary tour in the US, experience the band’s raw, primal and macabre energy in some truly intimate venues and get up close and personal with punk’s original connoisseurs. ERIN GOODALL (JOHN MCLEAN + KERR JAMES + GREG HENDERSON + ZOE MARTIN)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, FREE

Erin Goodall headlines her first Glasgow show at the Classic Grand. DELIBERATE CRUMBS (ROMEO TAYLOR + THE AGONY ANGSTS )

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5

Comedy character punk-pop. RICHARD DAWSON

PLATFORM, FROM 19:00, £7.50 - £12.50

As part of Celtic Connections, Richard Dawson performs songs that are both chucklesome and tragic, rooted in a febrile imagination that references worlds held dear and worlds unknown. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: NORTHERN FLYAWAY

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £16

Inge Thomson and Jenny Sturgeon explore the ecology, folklore, symbolism and mythology of birds and birdsong. THE BARR BROTHERS WITH THE OH HELLOS

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £16

Montreal-based trio The Barr Brothers have won plaudits galore for their unique folk/rock sound, interweaving Indian, African, psychedelic and electronic strands among diverse Americana styles.

THE DAMNED PRE-PARTY (FIREEXIT PUNKROCK + THE RED EYES)

AUDIO, 12:00–18:30, FREE

Pre-party before The Damned’s gig at O2 Academy, as part of their The Evil Spirits Tour.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW - SISTER JOHN (ANNIE BOOTH + ANDREW NICOL) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

The second curated night from Last ´ from Glasgow features the Night Americana stylings of acclaimed Glasgow four-piece Sister John, with support from Annie Booth and Andrew Nicol.

Mon 29 Jan

ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: NORTHERN FLYAWAY

TRON THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £16

Inge Thomson and Jenny Sturgeon explore the ecology, folklore, symbolism and mythology of birds and birdsong.

Listings

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5

Great local indie rock outfits

Sun 07 Jan

OPEN MIC (CRANACHAN)

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE

High quality music all day for free.

Tue 09 Jan

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE

Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke.

Thu 11 Jan

CZESLAW MOZIL LIVE

The internationally acclaimed Polish singer, composer, accordionist and TV personality returns to Edinburgh on his UK tour, last seen at the Bongo in December 2015. INCOGNITO

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, £30

The enduring success of Incognito is one of the great stories of UK music during the last four decades. WONDERBOY (BLIND CIRCUITS + THE NELSON WONG EXPERIENCE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £4

Wonderboy are an Edinburgh based four-piece finding a new space somewhere between alternative rock, pop and prog. ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART (CATFISH)

STRAMASH, FROM 19:00, £17.50

Eugene Kelly of The Vaselines plays a selection of Vaselines classics and solo material in a very special solo show.

Liverpudlian anarchist black metallers.

Grammy award-winning Alvin Youngblood Hart bringS his live explosion of blues, roots, country and rock all the way from Memphis to Auld Reekie.

Tue 30 Jan

Fri 12 Jan

NOVUS (HOLLOW ILLUSION)

Fri 19 Jan

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £6

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:00, TBC

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: EUGENE KELLY

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 20:00, £12

STEVE AOKI

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £20

Fresh from the release of his new album KOLONY, two-time Grammynominated DJ Steve Aoki returns to the UK in January for more headline shows, more cake throwing and even more champagne. ALVAREZ KINGS

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Alternative indie pop band from Yorkshire. MICHALE GRAVES (EX-MISFITS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £13

Punk legend will play Misfits classics & solo material with full band. PESTILENCE (REBAELLIUN)

AUDIO, 18:30–22:30, £16

Special old school set, playing tracks from their first four albums. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: JAMES YORKSTON (SARAH HAYES & SARA KAZMI)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £13

The Scottish folk musician, singer-songwriter and author will be supported by Sarah Hayes and Sara Kazmi, who will debut brand new material.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: FISKUR (PHILLIP TAYLOR (PAWS) + ZOE GRAHAM) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 20:00, £10

A new collaborative project formed by Glasgow singer/songwriter Ross Clark and Frightened Rabbit multiinstrumentalist Andy Monaghan.

Wed 31 Jan

EVERYDAY PHARAOHS (ASTROPHE + TRUE ROMANCE + FROG COSTUME )

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5

Trio of Glasgow lads touting indie, post garage, punk and rock. RAT BOY

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £16

Parlophone Records mischief maker Rat Boy (AKA Jordan Cardy) brings his Jamie T vibes to the stage. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: ÍMAR (KAIA KATER)

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, FROM 20:00, £14

Glasgow’s hottest new folk property, five-piece Ímar have created more than a bit of a stir in little over a year since their formation. CELTIC CONNECTIONS: FEATHERWEST (HEIR OF THE CURSED)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

Launching their new album Home At Sea, effervescent indietronic artrock meets wonky pop, created by enigmatic partners in life and art.

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

DAWN RAY’D (UNYIELDING LOVE + SCUMPULSE)

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5

A night of alt/indie rock.

A COUNTRY NIGHT IN NASHVILLE

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £22.50 - £52.50

A Country Night In Nashville recreates the scene of a buzzing Honky Tonk in downtown Nashville, perfectly capturing the energy and atmosphere of an evening in the home of Country Music. WOLFGANG FLÜR (EXKRAFTWERK)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

Wolfgang shows video and images from his career whilst playing live.

Sat 13 Jan VANESSA SILRMEN

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5

Solo acoustic tour, straight out of the USA. SHOWADDYWADDY

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £24.50 - £49.50

Formed in the 1970s in Leicester from several local bands, Showaddywaddy have sold more than 20 million records and recently celebrated their 40th anniversary.

PALMIROS (THE MOTION POETS + SLEEPLESS GIANTS + CAITLIN BUCHANAN) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £4

Killer local bill packed with some of the best new acts to kick off the year. WOSP EDYNBURG – KONCERT FINALOWY (ECHO ARCADIA + RAMAGE INC + LAST STAND + GOORALE SKA)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Charity fundraiser for Polish healthcare.

Sun 14 Jan

OPEN MIC (JED POTTS & THE HILLMAN HUNTERS)

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE

High quality music all day for free.

Mon 15 Jan

JONAH MATRANGA (NON CANON)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

FAR front man tours to support new book and 20 years of Water & Solutions.

BANSHEEMANS FESTIVAL

Bannermans & Banshee Labrynth combine for a festival of great local acts. KELORA AND EDINBURGH LEISURE DOUBLE BILL

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, TBC

Kelora are the medieval futurist, nu-celtic folk band you never thought you needed. Edinburgh Leisure from local sample-madpost-punk duo delivered by The Male Nurse and BAT-BIKE affiIiates.

Sat 20 Jan URGENCY X UK

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5

Bit of punk to liven up your Saturday.

FEELS LIKE THURSDAY (BETTY & THE BASS + NASARI)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, TBC

Feels Like Thursday are an indierock outfit from Livingston who make emotional songs that make it feel like a Thursday.

SEXTILE SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £7

This LA four-piece outfit has all the makings of a revolutionary sound, combining the raw energy of 70’s punk with the intricate structural elements of 80s postpunk and synthwave.

Wed 24 Jan

EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB (LUCKY PETERSON + THE LEWIS HAMILTON BAND)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £18

Edinburgh Blues Club is a Social Enterprise established to harness popular support for regular blues events in Edinburgh to ensure that the city and surrounding areas do not miss out on quality touring blues acts.

Thu 25 Jan

MICHALE GRAVES (EX-MISFITS) (SO LONG UNTIL THE SÉANCE + BUZZBOMB) BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £13 - £15

Punk legend will play Misfits classics & solo material with full band. MANDOLIN ORANGE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £12

From Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this Americana/folk duo are a real treat to have in Sneaks.

Fri 26 Jan KING KING

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £20

British bluesbreakers and multiaward winners at the British Blues Awards. CHEAP TEETH

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, TBC

T-Break winners Cheap Teeth are a boisterous garage rock outfit that harbours enough hooks and catchy refrains to accrue the love of anyone who comes into contact with their diverse sound. NEHH PRESENTS... RACHEL SERMANNI + JAMIE SUTHERLAND

SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £14

For Burns Unbroke, Sermanni brings a special one-off set featuring new instrumentation and many a nod to Burns, with support from Broken Records’ singer Jamie Sutherland.

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £11

GOOD GRIEF: ROCK TRUST FUNDRAISER (SPINNING COIN + DUDS + BREAKFAST MUFF + ROBERT SOTELO GROUP + JACK LEE + RAINHAM SHEDS + SMOOTH DAD & THE COMMUNITY) THE BISCUIT FACTORY, 16:00–23:00, £10

New events promoters in Edinburgh Good Grief put on an all-day music festival in support of the Rock Trust.

Mon 22 Jan THE CRIBS

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:00, £20

The Wakefield indie-rockers do their guitar-heavy and frantic thing.

Tue 23 Jan

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE

Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke.

Mon 01 Jan

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £8

Disco darlings fabulous.

Fri 26 Jan

SWG3 GLASGOW, 17:00–03:00, £25 - £30

Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke.

INDEPENDENT VENUE WEEK: AVALANCHE PARTY, WALT DISCO & SHREDD SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £8

Garage-punk act Avalanche Party have been frequently tipped as the most exciting live band in the UK right now, while Walt Disco & Shredd each have enough energy to rip the roof off the venue.

Wed 31 Jan

PESTILENCE (REBAELLIUN)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £16 - £18

Special old school set, playing tracks from their first four albums.

SOMEONE LIKE YOU – THE ADELE SONGBOOK

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £18 - £27.50

Hand-picked by Adele herself, Katie Markham has the showstopping voice and captivating charisma to deliver all your favourite Adele hits in an enthralling concert performance.

JEFF TWEEDY (JAMES ELKINGTON)

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:00, £28.50

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy revisits his vast catalogue of work, which spans three decades and more than 20 albums, on Together At Last – the first in a proposed series, Loft Acoustic Sessions.

MACTALLICA

Scotland’s tribute to Metallica. RATTLED AND HUMMIN’

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £8

Scottish tribute to one of the world’s biggest bands, U2.

Sat 27 Jan

THE DAMNED (SLIM JIM PHANTOM)

CAIRD HALL, FROM 19:00, £28.50

WHITEHALL THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £23

The only Scottish show in Eva’s special two-date visit to the UK, and an unmissable opportunity to experience one of musical theatre’s most exciting talents. SKINT LIZZY

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £8

Thin Lizzy tribute act.

Wed 31 Jan

MICHALE GRAVES (SO LONG UNTIL THE SÉANCE + SLUTS)

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £13 - £15

Ex-vocalist of The Misfits takes his Beginning of the End tour to Scotland.

DRUGSTORE GLAMOUR

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–04:00, FREE

MAXIMUM PRESSURE X NYD

This 10 hour extravaganza on NYD is shaping up to be the biggest party of the winter holiday season. BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no? SUB CLUB NYD (GREG WILSON + REBECCA VASMANT)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10

Start 2018 as you mean to go on, with a big ol’ party at Subbie.

Tue 02 Jan PERMOCULTURE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, TBC

The history of dance explored. KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’. #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £26.75

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

INDEPENDENT VENUE WEEK: LOGAN’S CLOSE PLUS GUESTS

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £8

SHED SEVEN

The Britpop also-rans revisit their glory days. SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £7

Local heroes Logan’s Close like to make it roll like it’s ‘64. Class show for fans of the Kinks, early Stones, and other notable mop-tops.

I AM

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

Wed 03 Jan MELTED

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

Afro-disco screamers. BEAST

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £10

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE

Start to End return with a perfect live band interpretation of John Martyn’s seminal 4th solo studio album Solid Air.

Sat 13 Jan

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

ASHES TO ASHES

Upcoming punk rock band that are captivating live.

START TO END: JOHN MARTYN’S SOLID AIR

High quality music all day for free.

Tue 30 Jan

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £6 - £8

VAN ZELLER

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE

OPEN MIC (CRANACHAN)

Glasgow Clubs

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong.

Sat 27 Jan

An all-star cast feature in Ashes to Ashes cabaret tribute to Bowie. All proceeds go to Cabaret vs Cancer.

Sun 21 Jan

Dundee Music

Sun 28 Jan

OPEN MIC (CRANACHAN)

High quality music all day for free. TOMMY SMITH QUARTET: EMBODYING THE LIGHT

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £16 - £18

Internationally acclaimed saxophonist Tommy Smith leads his new group in a tribute to jazz icon John Coltrane.

WRAP-IT

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

Thu 04 Jan JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

FIRST DATES W/ SPOOK SCHOOL DJS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

Pop-punk and nu-metal school disco vibes. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

Mon 29 Jan

THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £23 - £51

Using huge projection photos and original film footage, this 50th Anniversary Celebration also features a full live band performing all the hits. INDEPENDENT VENUE WEEK: RITUALS, THE NINTH WAVE & WYLDE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £7

Three shades of a new wave of scuzz-goth from Scotland: organlead Rituals, Glasgow’s blistering must-see The Ninth Wave and stampeding shoegaze young team Wylde.

THE SKINNY

Glasgow Clubs UNHOLY

SATURDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

RUCKUS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 - £4

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. ELEMENT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. FOUNDRY

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, TBC

Club night aiming to push the boundaries of modern dance music and invite some of the most cutting edge artists to Glasgow, both new and old, local and from afar.

Fri 05 Jan HARSH TUG

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, £3

OG Kush + hip-hop bangers with Notorious B.A.G. TRAX

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

DJ Daryl kicks off the first weekend of the month, spinning hip-hop, grunge, trap and dance tunes. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. MISSING PERSONS CLUB

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

With countless hours of DJ experience between this world class wreckin’ cru, this party is guaranteed to keep the fire burning on the dancefloor. FRIDAY NIGHTS

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue.

Sat 06 Jan FRESH! FRIDAYS

ORAN MOR, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £6

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. GLITTERBBANG

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, £3

Euro-pop disco sweatcore. FRIDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

A selection of funk and soul and 60s and 70s hits. CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £6

Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you. LEZURE: SUBCITY TAKEOVER

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 22:00–03:00, £5

A small group of friends bringing you some of the most interesting artists in the world of dance music. FUNK YER RESOLUTIONS

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £1 - £5

Expect the warm and soothing sounds of soul, disco, funk, balaeric, italo, afro and all in between from Lech & Mac as we ease away those New Year blues.

Sun 07 Jan ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro. LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. NULL / VOID

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

Industrial goth party time.

January 2018

Nick Peacock, Alex O and John Ross spin a Saturday-ready selection of Northern soul and 60s and 70s hits. CLIFFHANGER

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, TBC

A hearty blend of emo, drive-thru, old school and new school pop punk, to see your Sunday through to the stars. SESH

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes thorough the night. SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8

Sarah Legatt’s monthly hip-hop, trap and R’n’B night. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore.

LT #3 (RIBEKA & FRIENDS + KINDS OF DUB)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

Ribeka bring Kinds of Dub to La Cheetah. RETURN TO MONO AT SUB CLUB WITH SLAM & GARY BECK

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £14

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

Slam kick off their 2018 residency with their long time friend Gary Beck.

Mon 08 Jan

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue.

BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

Tue 09 Jan KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’. #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence. I AM

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £8

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

Wed 10 Jan DON’T BE GUTTED

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

Nefarious beats for dangerous times. BEAST

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong. WRAP-IT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

Thu 11 Jan JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

FRIDAY NIGHTS

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

SAILORMOONAGEOFAQUARIUSITALODISCOMUNDIAL: THE GREAT GLASGOW FASHION FEST

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 - £4

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. ELEMENT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey.

ELECTRIC SALSA (STEVEN SIMPSON + EWAN MCVICAR + BISSET) LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

2nd Thursday every month at La Cheetah.

Fri 12 Jan

ANNA & HOLLY’S DANCE PARTY

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, £3

Rock’n’roll, garage and soul.

BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

Tue 16 Jan

BUCKFAST SUPERNOVA (MARBLE GODS DJS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember.

Sat 13 Jan PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. SINGLES NIGHT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, £3

Greatest tunes of 7” vinyl. FRIDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

FRIDAY NIGHTS

I AM

I LOVE GARAGE

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £8

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue. FRESH! FRIDAYS

ORAN MOR, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £6

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember.

Sat 20 Jan PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. THE LANCE VANCE DANCE

Marble Gods will be living their best lives playing indie-pop gems, R&B smashes, sweet disco beats and the gr8est pop songs of all time ever.

Exotic dreamy disco.

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

A selection of funk and soul and 60s and 70s hits.

KILLER KITSCH

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’. #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

FRESH! FRIDAYS

ORAN MOR, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £6

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £8

Wed 17 Jan PRAY 4 LOVE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

All love songs + all bangers. BEAST

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong. WRAP-IT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, £3

FRIDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £6

Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £7

As usual, Al Kent will be playing from start till end, treating your ears and feet to four hours of the most wonderful disco music at MDD’s annual party. ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro.

Sun 21 Jan LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests.

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

BEAST

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

Wed 24 Jan FREAK LIKE ME

Soul, hip-hop and funk. CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong. WRAP-IT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

BREAKFAST CLUB

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

80s anthems for everyone. Period specific dress encouraged. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop. UNHOLY

RENEGADES OF FUNK

Two deejays exploring the sonic spectrum between funk and techno. MUSIC IS THE ANSWER

THE POETRY CLUB, 22:00–02:00, £6

In aid of GAMH (Glasgow Association of Mental Health), MSJ presents a night of the best 90s house music, with Ayrshire’s Resident TEN DJ’s Ewan McVicar and Cairns Azbraitis and local Glasgow DJ Findlay Stephen.

Thu 18 Jan

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, TBC

SESH

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style.

Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 22:00–03:00, £5

Shake off the New Year blues with some old skool house, techno and rave. ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £8

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. SATURDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock, Alex O and John Ross spin a Saturday-ready selection of Northern soul and 60s and 70s hits. SESH

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night. SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer. SMALL TALK W/ DJ ADIDADAS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

Happy Meal Lewis Seduces w/ Eurowave + Vaporbeat. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 - £4

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. ELEMENT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. PALA

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 22:00–03:00, £5

Pala Glasgow bring the best DJs and live acts Glasgow has to offer.

Fri 19 Jan FAMOO

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, £3

Delicious disco for dancers, no chancers. CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. PARTIAL

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

Promoting nights to dance at between Glasgow and Edinburgh, est. 2014.

Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on

CLIFFHANGER

A hearty blend of emo, drive-thru, old school and new school pop punk, to see your Sunday through to the stars. THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes thorough the night. SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

Mon 22 Jan BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

Tue 23 Jan ONLY THE SUBJECT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

New wave of underground Glasgow DJ talent. KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–05:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. SATURDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock, Alex O and John Ross spin a Saturday-ready selection of Northern soul and 60s and 70s hits. SLIDE IT IN

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, TBC

SESH

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes thorough the night. SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

Mon 29 Jan BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats. BARE MONDAYS

MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Brand new weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Wed 03 Jan COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits. HEATERS LAUNCH: CAPRI COLLECTIVE (C-SHAMAN + CAPRI COLLECTIVE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Heaters is a new weekly transmission featuring all sorts of dance floor motivators and championing top local crews, curated by controller general C-Shaman.

Thu 04 Jan HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Early weekend-welcoming (y’know, for students) chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, R’n’B and urban in the back room. JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno.

Fri 05 Jan

A mixtape of love, lust and nostalgia.

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

Tue 30 Jan

Sound System Legacies explores the legacy of dub, reggae, roots music and sound system culture on more contemporary club and dance music styles.

DATE NIGHT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, £3

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. ÉCLAIR FIFI RESIDENCY PT.1

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 22:00–03:00, £5 - £7

One of the most popular DJs on the scene begins her La Cheetah residency. FRIDAY NIGHTS

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue. FRESH! FRIDAYS

ORAN MOR, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £6

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember.

Sat 27 Jan PROPAGANDA

KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’. #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence. I AM

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £8

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow. BENZTEKISTAN #2: BERLIN TAKEOVER

FLAT 0/1, FROM 22:00, FREE

Party collective started in Glasgow by two French artists Tallisker & SUN JÙN (YUMYUM records).

Wed 31 Jan BEAST

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, £3

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

SHAKA LOVES YOU PRESENTS: JOINTS ‘N’ JAMS

Old school hip-hop and live percussion.

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

MISBEHAVIN

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

TWEAK_ NYD AFTERPARTY (HARRI + KIERAN APTER + SIMON BAYS)

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Fri 26 Jan

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’. #TAG TUESDAYS

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, TBC

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Tue 02 Jan

ROYALE SATURDAYS

ELEMENT

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey.

MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

ORAN MOR, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £8

Classic rock through the ages from DJ Nicola Walker.

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, TBC

Mon 01 Jan

Tweak_ trot down to Sneaks after their NYD belter at SKY bar, with their secret guest in tow for the final festive 5am.

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 - £4

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up.

Nick Peacock, Alex O and John Ross spin a Saturday-ready selection of Northern soul and 60s and 70s hits.

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £6

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 22:00–03:00, £9

Edinburgh Clubs

After travelling & landing in a few excellent locations around Glasgow, A Love From Outer Space is back at The Berkeley Suite for 2018.

Sun 28 Jan

JELLY BABY

A collective of music lovers dedicated to bringing beautiful sounds to some of Glasgow’s best venues.

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE WITH TRANSMISSION

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Monthly residency at La Cheetah.

Thu 25 Jan

ALGORHYTHM (BANOFFEE PIES (BANOFFEE PIES RECORDS))

SATURDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

EZUP

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro.

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

A selection of funk and soul and 60s and 70s hits.

Sun 14 Jan

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

I AM

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 11:30–03:00, FREE

HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

Third Year GSA Fashion & Textiles annual fashion show fundraiser, with the longest event name in history. Fancy dress or dress fancy.

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro.

Disco darlings fabulous.

BURN MONDAYS

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £6

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer. DRUGSTORE GLAMOUR

Mon 15 Jan

FRIDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

A selection of funk and soul and 60s and 70s hits. CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £6

Retro-pop, alt, dance and electro from DJ Drewbear.

WRAP-IT

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

MINDSET (GOURLAY & CRAIG HAMILTON + JOE VARELA + CONNOR BYRNE)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Strictly house grooves from Edinburgh house DJ don Gareth Sommerville.

MESSENGER PRESENTS SOUND SYSTEM LEGACIES

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

FLIP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect.

WITNESS (ROSS WITNESS + FAULT LINES)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

New monthly slot for the long running future beats night, expect bumpin’ big things. RIVIERA PARAISO (DJ CHEERS + PAKO VEGA)

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

In the first episode of Riviera Paraiso, DJ Cheers (Teesh) and Pako Vega will take you on an timeless journey to exotic sounds and warm atmospheres.

Sat 06 Jan

HOTLINE FOODBANK FUNDRAISER (MISS WORLD + BROWN WIDOW) THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

The Hotline crew do their bit for the community and will be accepting foodbank donations at the cash desk. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £3 - £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. REWIND – JANUARY SALE

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, TBC

Retro party anthems and sing-along classics from the 70s, 80s, 90s and more, spun by DJ’s Mick Cool & Shuggie Bear.

Listings

Edinburgh Clubs HECTORS & HOMETOWN: CHAS FUNDRAISER (GARETH SOMMERVILLE (PLEASURE) + JUSTIN BICKLER + CAMMY MACLEOD AKA MACKA (HOMETOWN)) SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Hectors return with their annual charity party at Sneaks, teaming up with Hometown Promotions to raise money for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland. SAMEDIA SHEBEEN (ASTROJAZZ + SAMEDIA DJS)

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Come warm yourselves with some afro-centric beats and latin heat. JACUZZI GENERAL W/ PERCY MAIN

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Jacuzzi General opens the year with one of Lionoil’s top cats Percy Main – a selector and producer known for his broad taste in musical exploration, love of animals and admiration for the works of David Chase between 1999-2007.

Sun 07 Jan SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

Mon 08 Jan MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Tue 09 Jan MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Brand new weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Wed 10 Jan

MR TRAUMATIK CHARITY EVENT (DIGITAL INTRUSION + DANOX & HAXBY) THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

A charity event in support of CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) celebrating the life of George Wall, who sadly passed in 2016 from SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome). COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

HEATERS: MIRROR DANCE (C-SHAMAN + PADDY D + TAISCE) SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Heaters is a new weekly transmission featuring all sorts of dance floor motivators and championing top local crews, curated by controller general C-Shaman.

Thu 11 Jan HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Early weekend-welcoming (y’know, for students) chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, R’n’B and urban in the back room. JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno. COMMUNITY RADIO (JACUZZI GENERAL + GUESTS)

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Weekly radio show presented by Palms resident and purveyor of passion and sensual positivity Jacuzzi General, exploring music from around the world.

Fri 12 Jan HEADSET

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Skillis (Big ‘n’ Bashy) and friends playing garage, techno, house and bass downstairs, with old school hip-hop upstairs.

Listings

FLIP THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. TEMPTATION

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

Edinburgh’s finest LGBT+ club night, playing the best synth-pop, electro-pop and Hi-NRG from the 80s to the present day. Nothing is too cheesy, nothing is too camp, nothing is too queer.

Tue 16 Jan MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Brand new weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

HWTS (BEN ATKINSON + DOUGLAS JOHNSON + HEDWIG KARLS)

Wed 17 Jan

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £6

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Heriot-Watt Techno Society take over Sneaky Pete’s for a one-off night journeying through the full spectrum of, you guessed it, Techno. OVERGROUND FREE RAVE 004 REFRESHERS’ EDITION (WRISK + SLOAN + TRIS)

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

The place to discover a new breed of lo-fi, raw house and techno.

SWEET ‘N’ VICIOUS (LAURA LUREX + KILLER KIM)

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Sweet ‘n’ Vicious serves up a delightful mix of saccharine sixties girl group sounds, YéYé, popcorn and borderline kitsch classics with mean rockabilly, wild rock ‘n’ roll and sleazy surf instrumentals.

Sat 13 Jan SOULSVILLE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5

Residents Cameron Mason and Calum Evans spin the finest cuts of deep funk, Latin rhythms and rare groove into the early hours. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. ELECTRO CYCLE

THE VILLAGE, 20:00–01:00, FREE

Resident DJ’s Foxxy DJ and Hi Tech John spin some of the best house music old and new, from Chicago house to funky house. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £4 - £6

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. TEESH – ALL YOU CAN EAT MIND BUFFET (DJ CHEERS + DJ EQUIPMENT)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits. HEATERS: OVERGROUND (WRISK + C-SHAMAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Heaters teams up with local lo-fi acid krew Overground.

Thu 18 Jan HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Early weekend-welcoming (y’know, for students) chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, R’n’B and urban in the back room. JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno.

BASS BELLY REFRESHERS: CONGO NATTY FT CONGO DUBZ & IRON DREAD

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £10 - £12

Congo Natty, aka Rebel MC is at the forefront of the UK Jungle movement, never has the genre produced a more prominent figure. COMMUNITY RADIO (JACUZZI GENERAL + GUESTS)

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Weekly radio show presented by Palms resident and purveyor of passion and sensual positivity Jacuzzi General, exploring music from around the world.

Fri 19 Jan SUBSTANCE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Described by Resident Advisor as “one of Edinburgh’s most important outposts for house, techno and bass”, Substance brings a wide-ranging collage of classic and cutting edge underground electronic music to the Bongo. FLIP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Joining DJ Cheers’ first party of 2018, Glastonbury Beat Hotel and London’s Pickle Factory resident DJ Equipment.

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect.

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £6

The popular queer night returns to the Wee Red.

MIGHTY OAK SOUNDSYSTEM

Roots and culture: powered by Mighty Oak’s hand-built soundsystem.

SHAPEWORK X KODE9 (KODE9 + SHAPEWORK RESIDENTS)

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £8 - £10

Shapework welcomes Hyperdub boss Kode9 to The Mash House for their 2nd birthday. OTHER THUMPERS #11 (DONALD DUST)

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The Original Electro Punk returns to banish your January blues with four hours of new age, new beat, New York garage classics and good old fashioned B-boy anthems.

XOXO

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

TELFORT’S GOOD PLACE: KARIMA F (TELFORT) SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Telfort runs two parties a year and each one means a lot, this time he invites the wonderful Karima F, Resident DJ at Jaeger and The Villa in Oslo. B2B selecting all night in true Good Place procedure. LE FREAK (FRESH AIR DJS)

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Edinburgh’s student radio station brings you Le Freak, a student club night and LGBTQIA+ inclusive disco extravaganza. In support of Waverley Care charity.

MESSENGER THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Conscious roots and dub reggae rockin’ from the usual beefy Messenger Sound System. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. THE EGG (DAVID BOWIE SPECIAL)

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

The Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust and Major Tom return once again to celebrate the life of this musical legend. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £5 - £7

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. THE BIGGEST STUDENT 90’S REFRESHERS RAVE

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:00, £5 - £10

Get ready to hear all the classic 90’s tracks in a fully transformed venue in what is one of the most fun events of the student calendar. WASABI DISCO (KRIS WASABI)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Mutant disco and sleazy electro throbbers spun til late in a trashy boozer. UNITY PRESENTS DJ KENNY KEN

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £7

One of the biggest jungle/drum ‘n’ bass DJs since the 90s.

PMSC: KATE HARAHAN (PERCY MAIN + KATE HARAHAN) PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

COMMUNITY RADIO (JACUZZI GENERAL + GUESTS) PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Weekly radio show presented by Palms resident and purveyor of passion and sensual positivity Jacuzzi General, exploring music from around the world.

Fri 26 Jan ELECTRIKAL

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £10

Soundsystem party-starters, part of a music and art collective specialising in all things bass. FLIP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. MJÖLK

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5

Playing the finest in Swedish indiepop, 60s, 70s and independent music from near and far. LIONOIL (ANU + SOFAY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

Rhythm Section family anu joins West Coast family Sofay for a night of belters, courtesy of Lionoil Industries. HAPTIC: KRYWALD & FARRER

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

Party leaning towards afro, house and disco. LEZURE 3RD BIRTHDAY PART 1

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £7 - £10

3rd birthday from the hottest young team in clubland. NIKNAK

Kate Harahan is a class DJ with a very low profile, highly regarded by Prosumer (among many others) with whom she has guested on NTS Radio numerous times.

NikNak are back with B2B bangers and 2018 startovers. Let’s start afresh with fresh tracks and new leaf blowers.

Sun 21 Jan

Sat 27 Jan

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £7

SUNDAY CLUB

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

MUMBO JUMBO W/ THE GOGO

Funk, soul, beats and bumps from the Mumbo Jumbo gang and new room two residents The GoGo. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £4

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Tue 23 Jan MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Brand new weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Wed 24 Jan COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits. HEATERS: SHAPEWORK X TEXTURE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Shapework and Texture are the two East Coast names to know amongst the new generation of techno nights, here presented together at new weekly transmission Heaters.

Thu 25 Jan HI-SOCIETY

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. RIDE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Live fast die young, Ride gals do it well. Lola Lols and CheckiMate play 00s R’n’B and 90s hip hop and put their lighters up. PULSE: PERC TRAX PARTY WITH PERC & ANSOME (LIVE)

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £12 - £14

One of the most respected labels in techno today and a common reference point in modern underground club music.

GROOVERS X PINNACLE (SESENTAYUNO + ACID BUDDHA)

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

Tech-house from one the top 10 downloaded producers on Beatport. FINITRIBE PRESENTS: JUSTIN ROBERTSON

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The rave pilot returns to Paradise Palms for his January residency. Justin has recently released a new 7” Numerical Dischord Swap on Paradise Palms Records, available from all good record emporiums.

Sun 28 Jan SUNDAY CLUB

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

Mon 29 Jan

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

Mon 15 Jan MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room. TWEAK_ WITH THEO KOTTIS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Edinburgh’s rising star and very old pal of Sneaky Pete’s returns for Tweak_.

Main Ingredient bring their anything-goes ethos to Paradise Palms for a bi-monthly residency. Expect live synths, percussion guest musicians and their vast record collections.

Sat 20 Jan

SHADOWPLAY JANUARY 2018 (DJX + CHRIS FAST) HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

One of Scotland’s newest goth clubs with a punk DIY attitude, showcasing a great range of guest DJ’s and a mixture of classic and contemporary bands.

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

HEATERS X CREME FRESH: DEBONAIR

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Debonair has been an integral part of the NTS Radio roster since 2011, where she seamlessly juxtaposes post-punk, coldwave, EBM, techno, italo-disco and classic house, creating positive energy from some dark materials.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

SOUL SLAP

New funk & soul night at Wee Red Bar. SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno. CHURCH 2.4 X ELECTRIKAL: CHAMPION + MC SERIOUS

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £10 - £12

Bass house, UK funky, garage and grime heavyweights.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Tue 30 Jan MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Brand new weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage.

Theatre Glasgow Theatre

Edinburgh Theatre

CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art

Festival Theatre

LILT, TWANG, TREMOR – HANNA TUULIKKI: WOMEN OF THE HILL

12 JAN 18, 7:00PM, FREE

Commissioned by ATLAS Arts in October 2015, the site-specific performance has been re-imagined for a theatre setting and will be re-staged for the first time at CCA, featuring the original performers. LILT, TWANG, TREMOR – SUSANNAH STARK AND DONALD HAYDEN: SEARCHLIGHTS

14 JAN 18, 6:00PM, FREE

Dundee Clubs Sat 06 Jan PROPAGANDA

CHURCH, 22:30–02:30, £0 - £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

Sat 13 Jan PROPAGANDA

CHURCH, 22:30–02:30, £0 - £5

A live performance in the gallery exploring female Cynics, language and spam, interacting with installed works in the exhibition Lilt Twang Tremor.

Citizens Theatre ACHILLES

23 JAN-30 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, Company of Wolves reimagine the myth of Achilles in this heartstopping, dynamically physical solo performance created and performed by Ewan Downie.

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

Platform

Fri 19 Jan

A comically absurd and quietly shattering journey to the heart of our tolerant and fair society, based on the true stories of migrants caught in the most British of interview processes.

RECKLESS KETTLE

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, TBC

Sat 20 Jan

MIXED UP

PROPAGANDA

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

MAIN INGREDIENT

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £6 - £8

Early weekend-welcoming (y’know, for students) chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, R’n’B and urban in the back room.

COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

Wed 31 Jan

Mon 22 Jan

Electro, electro-funk and boogie from Glasgow team of producer/ DJs.

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Soul Jam are joined by LuckyMe cofounder The Blessings for a serious education in hip-hop.

Regular party-throwers across Dundee and Scotland, Fergus Tibbs and Mikey Rodger throw their January party.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday.

SOUL JAM: THE BLESSINGS (LUCKYME) (PERCY MAIN + TUESDAY GONZALEZ)

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

CONFIDANCE (MYSTERY SEASON, ROSEHIPS)

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £3

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

Sun 14 Jan SUNDAY CLUB

TRASH THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

PROPAGANDA

CHURCH, 22:30–02:30, £0 - £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

Sat 27 Jan PROPAGANDA

CHURCH, 22:30–02:30, £0 - £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

THE CLAIM

31 JAN-31 JAN 18, 7:00PM, £4 - £8.50

The Glad Cafe CELTIC CONNECTIONS: A NEW INTERNATIONAL

27 JAN-27 JAN 18, 7:30PM, £13

A concert in two halves, A Night at the Theatre features the world premiere of a new collection of songs by A New International for a forthcoming theatrical production by Vanishing Point, scheduled for a national tour in Autumn.

The King’s Theatre SLEEPING BEAUTY

NATIONAL THEATRE ENCORE SCREENING: YOUNG MARX

10 JAN-10 JAN 18, 7:00PM, £14.50

Rory Kinnear is Marx and Oliver Chris is Engels in this new comedy written by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman, broadcast live from The Bridge Theatre in London. NATIONAL THEATRE ENCORE SCREENING: FOLLIES

11 JAN-11 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, £14.50

Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical is staged for the first time at the National Theatre and broadcast live to cinemas. MISS SAIGON

17 JAN-17 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, £19 - £65

Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical Miss Saigon heads up North as part of a major UK tour.

Royal Lyceum Theatre ARABIAN NIGHTS

15 DEC-6 JAN 18, 7:00PM, £10 - £95

An unconventional Christmas production at The Lyceum as Joe Douglas brings to life a selection of Arabian Nights stories, featuring the familiar faces of Aladdin, Sinbad and Ali Baba.

Summerhall

OOR RABBIE BY ANDY CANNON AND WENDY WEATHERBY

25 JAN-25 JAN 18, 7:00PM – 8:00PM, £6 - £8

Part of Burns Unbroke, Oor Rabbie is the perfect introduction to the life and works of Rabbie Burns, featuring Burns’ most popular works.

The Edinburgh Playhouse FLASHDANCE

15 JAN-20 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, £20.90 - £74.40

Prepare to be blown away by an astonishing musical spectacle with phenomenal choreography to this iconic score. Sparks will fly and you’ll dance like you’ve never danced before. SHREK THE MUSICAL

15 DEC-7 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, £12 £42.50

15 DEC-7 JAN 18, 7:00PM, £18.50 - £79.50

CILLA – THE MUSICAL

Traverse Theatre

The First Lady of Scottish panto, Elaine C Smith stars in this adaptation of the Disney favourite. 30 JAN-3 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, £17.90 - £64.40

The new spectacular and heartwarming musical adaptation of the critically acclaimed hit ITV television series by Bafta Award winner Jeff Pope.

Theatre Royal HEDDA GABLER

Join Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona in this all-singing, alldancing production of the Oscarwinning film. TESTROOM

24 JAN-29 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, four groups of selected Scottishbased theatre artists present three to five minutes of work each. SNAPSHOTS 1: RAGNARÖK

27 JAN-27 JAN 18, 1:00PM, FREE

This acclaimed new production of Ibsen’s masterpiece Hedda Gabler tours the UK following a sold out run at the National Theatre.

Part of the Snapshots: Artists@ Work series at manipulate Festival 2018, a glimpse of a new piece in development by multi awardwinning company, Tortoise in a Nutshell.

22 JAN-27 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, £14 - £48

27 JAN-27 JAN 18, 6:30PM, FREE

15 JAN-20 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, £11.90 - £37.90

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

Based on the 1950 novel by Patricia Highsmith and made universally famous by the Oscarwinning Alfred Hitchcock film, this astonishingly gripping production is guaranteed to thrill and chill as the suspense mounts.

Tron Theatre TESTROOM

24 JAN-29 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, four groups of selected Scottishbased theatre artists present three to five minutes of work each. ALICE IN WEEGIELAND

15 DEC-7 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, £11 - £20

Wonderland becomes Weegieland in Johnny McKnight’s retelling of Lewis Carroll’s classic novel.

SNAPSHOTS 2: EGG

Part of the Snapshots: Artists@ Work series at manipulate Festival 2018, Sarah Bebe Holmes presents an autobiographical tale about a young woman who gave her eggs. SONG OF THE GOAT

29 JAN-29 JAN 18, 7:30PM, £9 - £17

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, one of France’s leading ensembles Compagnie à present a cautionary tale about the illusory lure of contemporary consumer society. PLASTIC HEROES

29 JAN-29 JAN 18, 9:00PM, £9 - £14

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, Ariel Doron presents challenging, funny and fast-paced collages of war and conflict using bought off the shelf children’s toys.

THE SKINNY

RESSACS 30 JAN-30 JAN 18, 7:30PM, £9 - £17

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, Compagnie Gare Centrale presents this bitingly funny and darkly satirical allegory about the dangers of existing purely for the material life. ACHILLES

23 JAN-30 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, Company of Wolves reimagine the myth of Achilles in this heartstopping, dynamically physical solo performance created and performed by Ewan Downie. SNAPSHOTS 3: NOTHING, HAND// SHAKE, LOVE

30 JAN-30 JAN 18, 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the Snapshots: Artists@ Work series at manipulate Festival 2018, Faux Theatre, Katie Armstrong and Ludens Ensemble present three separate works. PEURBLEU & DON’T BE AFRAID: A DOUBLE BILL

31 JAN-31 JAN 18, 6:45PM, £9 - £17

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, C&C Company returns to Scotland, presenting two new works. OFF-KILTER

31 JAN-31 JAN 18, 9:00PM, £9 - £14

Part of manipulate Festival 2018, Ramesh Meyyappan returns with a new solo performance exploring mental well-being, identity, and those unsettling times when you feel a little bit different from everyone else.

various venues CINDERELLA

15 DEC-21 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Shona Reppe returns with a reimagining of the classic fairytale, performed by acclaimed puppeteer Rick Conte.

Comedy Glasgow Comedy Tue 02 Jan RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £3

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts.

Wed 03 Jan

COMEDIAN RAP BATTLES (NEIL THE WEE MAN BRATCHPIECE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £4 - £6

Comedy and rap collide.

Thu 04 Jan

THE THURSDAY SHOW (GLENN WOOL + EDDY BRIMSON + SUSIE MCCABE) THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £7

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 05 Jan

THE FRIDAY SHOW (GLENN WOOL + EDDY BRIMSON + SUSIE MCCABE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. LAUGHTER EIGHT

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, TBC

Yesbar’s brand new comedy show starting at, you guessed it, 8pm, with the best there is to offer on the circuit.

Sat 06 Jan

THE SATURDAY SHOW (GLENN WOOL + EDDY BRIMSON + SUSIE MCCABE) THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

Dundee Theatre Dundee Rep THE BERRIES

27 JAN - FEB, TIMES VARY, £9 - £16

From the writer of The Scaffies comes the long-awaited return of The Berries. Set in the summer of 1974 in the berry fields of Kirriemuir, this hilarious play will certainly provide a comical insight into a culture long gone.

The Gardyne Theatre ROBERT C KELLY PRESENTS SLEEPING BEAUTY

19 DEC-6 JAN 18, 6:30PM, £23.50

Panto season is in full swing and this version of the Disney classic is Dundee’s only professional pantomime showing.

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. LAUGHTER EIGHT

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, TBC

Yesbar’s brand new comedy show starting at, you guessed it, 8pm, with the best there is to offer on the circuit.

Sun 07 Jan

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out. YESBAR VIRGIN: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Watch five brilliant up and coming comedians think on their feet and pit their wits against the audience to see if they are funny enough to graduate The YesBar Comedy Sunday School.

Yesbar’s brand new comedy show starting at, you guessed it, 8pm, with the best there is to offer on the circuit.

Sat 13 Jan

THE SATURDAY SHOW (DAVE JOHNS + RIA LINA) THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. LAUGHTER EIGHT

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, TBC

Yesbar’s brand new comedy show starting at, you guessed it, 8pm, with the best there is to offer on the circuit. CROSSMYLAFF COMEDY

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £9

An evening of stand-up comedy featuring a hand-picked selection of local up and coming comics.

Sun 14 Jan

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out. YESBAR VIRGIN: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Watch five brilliant up and coming comedians think on their feet and pit their wits against the audience to see if they are funny enough to graduate The YesBar Comedy Sunday School.

Mon 15 Jan MATT REED’S GAG REELS

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £7

A panel show that’s based on the movies.

Tue 16 Jan RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £3

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts.

Wed 17 Jan AHIR SHAH: CONTROL

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:00, £10 - £12

A show about freedom, fascism, history, hope, resistance and milk!!!!

Thu 18 Jan

THE THURSDAY SHOW (JOHN GORDILLO + ANDREW BIRD + KIRSTY MORRISON)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £7

GEIN’S FAMILY GIFT SHOP

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:00, £8 - £10

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, TBC

LAUGHTER EIGHT

Tue 09 Jan

Yesbar’s brand new comedy show starting at, you guessed it, 8pm, with the best there is to offer on the circuit.

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £3

Sat 20 Jan

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts.

Thu 11 Jan

THE THURSDAY SHOW (DAVE JOHNS + RIA LINA) THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £7

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 12 Jan

THE FRIDAY SHOW (DAVE JOHNS + RIA LINA)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

FIN TAYLOR & KIRI PRITCHARDMCLEAN DOUBLE BILL

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:00, £12

Double the fun with sets from two of the best new comedians on the national circuit.

Tue 23 Jan RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £3

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts.

Wed 24 Jan

BURNS NIGHT SPECIAL (JANEY GODLEY + JOHN SCOTT)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

Celebrate Burns night with an evening of top comedy.

Thu 25 Jan

THE THURSDAY SHOW (BRUCE MORTON + JOHN SCOTT)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £7

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 26 Jan

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BRUCE MORTON + JOHN SCOTT) THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. LAUGHTER EIGHT

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, TBC

Yesbar’s brand new comedy show starting at, you guessed it, 8pm, with the best there is to offer on the circuit.

Sat 27 Jan

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BRUCE MORTON + JOHN SCOTT)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. LAUGHTER EIGHT

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, TBC

Yesbar’s brand new comedy show starting at, you guessed it, 8pm, with the best there is to offer on the circuit.

Sun 28 Jan

BURNS NIGHT SPECIAL (VLADIMIR MCTAVISH)

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

RED RAW

Mon 22 Jan

Fri 19 Jan

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £2 - £3

Multi award-winning sketch group, who are a joy to watch.

Watch five brilliant up and coming comedians think on their feet and pit their wits against the audience to see if they are funny enough to graduate The YesBar Comedy Sunday School.

Celebrate Burns night with an evening of top comedy.

THE FRIDAY SHOW (JOHN GORDILLO + ANDREW BIRD + KIRSTY MORRISON)

A new regular evening of unscripted comedy at Yesbar featuring Improv Killed My Dog and special guest performers.

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Mon 08 Jan

IMPROV KILLED MY MONDAY

January 2018

LAUGHTER EIGHT YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, TBC

YESBAR VIRGIN: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

THE SATURDAY SHOW (JOHN GORDILLO + ANDREW BIRD + KIRSTY MORRISON)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

YESBAR VIRGIN: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

Watch five brilliant up and coming comedians think on their feet and pit their wits against the audience to see if they are funny enough to graduate The YesBar Comedy Sunday School.

Mon 29 Jan

JOHN KEARNS: DON’T WORRY THEY’RE HERE

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:00, £10

An hour of richly idiosyncratic comedy.

Tue 30 Jan RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £3

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts.

Wed 31 Jan ANDY ZALTZMAN LIVE

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:00, £12

A solo show from one of the best satirical comedians on the planet.

LAUGHTER EIGHT

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, TBC

Yesbar’s brand new comedy show starting at, you guessed it, 8pm, with the best there is to offer on the circuit.

Sun 21 Jan

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out.

Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on

Edinburgh Comedy Mon 01 Jan

HOOTFEST! (JOHN SCOTT + EDDY BRIMSON + MARC JENNINGS + SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:45, £8 - £15

Start the new year with a special New Year’s Day Hootfest.

Tue 02 Jan

MIDWEEK COMEDY CABARET (GARETH MUTCH) THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £4

Midweek comedy showcase.

Wed 03 Jan

VIVA LA SHAMBLES (KIER MCALLISTER + JAY LAFFERTY + GUS LYMBUN + GARETH MUTCH)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £4 - £5

Tue 09 Jan

Tue 16 Jan

Tue 23 Jan

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

THE PLEASANCE, 19:30–23:00, £1

BONA FIDE (JAY LAFFERTY)

Come and see the freshest comedy Edinburgh has to offer, watch acts grow and perform brand new material.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

PROJECT X

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X.

Wed 10 Jan TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. MATT REED’S GAG REELS

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £7

A panel show that’s based on the movies.

Thu 11 Jan

Anarchic comedy mayhem from Scotland’s finest young acts.

Thu 04 Jan

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £5 - £10

PROJECT X

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X. AHIR SHAH: CONTROL

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–21:30, £10 - £12

A show about freedom, fascism, history, hope, resistance and milk!!!!

Wed 17 Jan

TOPICAL STORM (MARK NELSON + KEIR MCALLISTER + STUART MURPHY + VLADIMIR MCTAVISH) THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £7

Satirical comedy at its best. TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene.

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Thu 18 Jan

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £5 - £10

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Fri 12 Jan

A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards.

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BRUCE MORTON + WILL FRANKEN + JULIA SUTHERLAND + CHRISTOPHER KC + MARTIN MOR)

Fri 05 Jan

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £5 - £10

SPONTANEOUS POTTER

THE FRIDAY SHOW (MARK NELSON + SIMON DONALD + JAY LAFFERTY + BRYAN GHOSH + RAY BRADSHAW)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

SPONTANEOUS SHERLOCK

An entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes comedy play from Scotland’s hottest improv troupe.

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

Sat 13 Jan

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BRUCE MORTON + WILL FRANKEN + JULIA SUTHERLAND + CHRISTOPHER KC + MARTIN MOR)

Sat 06 Jan

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

THE SATURDAY SHOW (MARK NELSON + SIMON DONALD + JAY LAFFERTY + BRYAN GHOSH + RAY BRADSHAW)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

Sun 07 Jan

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 13:30–15:00, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. Marvel as resident duo Stu & Garry weave comedy magic from your suggestions. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. GEIN’S FAMILY GIFT SHOP

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–21:30, £8 - £10

Multi award-winning sketch group, who are a joy to watch.

Mon 08 Jan RED RAW

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:45, £3

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts. SCIENCE FACTIONS

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:30, FREE

The out-of-this-world sci-fi comedy panel show.

GRASSROOTS COMEDY

New material specially written for the night by some of the countries finest comedians.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (BRUCE MORTON + WILL FRANKEN + JULIA SUTHERLAND + CHRISTOPHER KC + MARTIN MOR)

THE THURSDAY SHOW (MARK NELSON + SIMON DONALD + JAY LAFFERTY + BRYAN GHOSH + RAY BRADSHAW)

GRASSROOTS COMEDY

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

Sun 14 Jan

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN (ROSS LESLIE + MATT WATSON) THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out. STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 13:30–15:00, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. Marvel as resident duo Stu & Garry weave comedy magic from your suggestions. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow.

ANGUS GORDON AND AARON CHEN: DOUBLE BILL

GILDED BALLOON , FROM 19:00, £8 - £10

Joint Melbourne International Comedy Festival Best Newcomers, Angus Gordon and Aaron Chen head to Edinburgh for one night only.

Mon 15 Jan

RED RAW (LIAM WITHNAIL)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:45, £3

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (PAUL SINHA + LUCA CUPANI + DONALD ALEXANDER + RACHEL JACKSON + JO CAULFIELD)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase. SPONTANEOUS POTTER

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards.

Fri 19 Jan

THE FRIDAY SHOW (PAUL SINHA + LUCA CUPANI + DONALD ALEXANDER + RACHEL JACKSON + JO CAULFIELD) THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

PROJECT X

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X.

FIN TAYLOR & KIRI PRITCHARDMCLEAN DOUBLE BILL

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:00, £12

Double the fun with sets from two of the best new comedians on the national circuit.

Wed 24 Jan

BURNS NIGHT SPECIAL (VLADIMIR MCTAVISH)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

Celebrate Burns night with an evening of top comedy. TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene.

Thu 25 Jan

THE THURSDAY SHOW (JANEY GODLEY + STEPHEN CARLIN + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £5 - £10

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase. SPONTANEOUS SHERLOCK

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

An entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes comedy play from Scotland’s hottest improv troupe.

Fri 26 Jan

THE FRIDAY SHOW (JANEY GODLEY + STEPHEN CARLIN + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. THE BURNS COMEDY SHOW

Sat 20 Jan

GILDED BALLOON , FROM 21:30, £11.50 - £12.50

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

Sat 27 Jan

THE SATURDAY SHOW (PAUL SINHA + LUCA CUPANI + DONALD ALEXANDER + RACHEL JACKSON + JO CAULFIELD)

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

Sun 21 Jan

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN (JIM SMITH + BRYAN GHOSH + JOE MCTERNAN) THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out.

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 13:30–15:00, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. Marvel as resident duo Stu & Garry weave comedy magic from your suggestions. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow.

Mon 22 Jan

RED RAW (COLIN CHADWICK)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:45, £3

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts.

Part of the Red Red Rose Street Festival, celebrating all things Burns. THE SATURDAY SHOW (JANEY GODLEY + STEPHEN CARLIN + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. THE BURNS COMEDY SHOW

GILDED BALLOON , FROM 21:30, £11.50 - £12.50

Part of the Red Red Rose Street Festival, celebrating all things Burns.

Sun 28 Jan

BURNS NIGHT SPECIAL (STEPHEN CARLIN + DONALD ALEXANDER)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:45, £5 - £6

Celebrate Burns night with an evening of top comedy. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. JOJO SUTHERLAND & SUSAN MORRISON: FANNY’S AHOY!

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 17:30–19:00, £4 - £5

Set sail with the award-winning grand dames of Scottish comedy.

Listings

Mon 29 Jan RED RAW (JIM SMITH)

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:45, £3

Legendary new material night, with up to ten acts.

Tue 30 Jan GRASSROOTS COMEDY

THE PLEASANCE, 19:30–23:00, £1

Come and see the freshest comedy Edinburgh has to offer, watch acts grow and perform brand new material. ANDY ZALTZMAN LIVE

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:00, £12

A solo show from one of the best satirical comedians on the planet. JOHN KEARNS: DON’T WORRY THEY’RE HERE TOUR

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:45, £9 - £12

John Kearns dons his false teeth and monk wig for his debut UK tour.

Wed 31 Jan TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. BENEFIT IN AID OF SCOPE

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB, 20:30–22:30, £8

Comedy benefit with all ticket proceeds going to Scope. JOHN KEARNS: DON’T WORRY THEY’RE HERE TOUR

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:45, £9 - £12

John Kearns dons his false teeth and monk wig for his debut UK tour.

Art

Glasgow Art CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art LILT, TWANG, TREMOR

15 DEC-14 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

CCA invites three Scottish artists – Sarah Rose, Susannah Stark and Hanna Tuulikki – whose work examines the politics and production of voice. The human voice can mystify, calm, incite, deceive and betray. It can shift borders, change spaces and disturb our understanding of ourselves and our communities. Looking at how the voice takes shape in different places and environments, this exhibition explores the contexts in which voices are made audible. Examining the mouth, the mouthless voice, the embodied and disembodied voice, the voice as a tool, and as an instrument – the artists question the manner in which vocals affect the environment around us. ALBERTO VAZQUEZ – DARK FABLES: FROM COMICS TO FILMS

18 JAN-27 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

This special exhibition gathers Vazquez’s graphic and audiovisual work together, presenting how the artist adapted his comics and illustration books into animated films.

Cyril Gerber Fine Art THE WINTER SHOW 2017

15 DEC-31 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

A fresh and exciting combination of paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures spanning the 20th century, through to present day, specially selected for this seasonal exhibition. Includes works by Glasgow School, Modern British Masters, Scottish Colourists, Joan Eardley, Scottish Modern Masters and a selection of Contemporaries.

GoMA POLYGRAPHS

15 DEC-20 MAY 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

A group exhibition with a central point of Hito Steyerl’s film Abstract, which explores truth, fiction and evidence in a complicated world. Features Jane Evelyn Atwood, Muirhead Bone, Boyle Family, Gerard Byrne, Graham Fagen, Ian Hamilton Finlay and more. STEPHEN SUTCLIFFE: WORK FROM THE COLLECTION

15 DEC-21 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Glasgow-based artist Stephen Sutcliffe brings a solo exhibition to GoMA, featuring works which draw upon a large personal archive of broadcast materials and printed ephemera. These new works focus on anxiety, self-doubt and the creative process.

House For An Art Lover OBJECTS OF CELEBRATION

16 DEC-4 MAR 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Objects of Celebration is a solo exhibition of new work by artist Claire Heminsley exploring the rituals of celebration.

Hunterian Art Gallery

ART OF POWER: MASTERPIECES FROM THE BUTE COLLECTION

15 DEC-14 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Take the oportunity to see major paintings from the Bute Collection at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute. Exhibition split across two venues, The Hunterian and Mount Stuart.

A SYNCHRONOLOGY 15 DEC-28 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

A group exhibition presenting works by internationally significant figures, featuring contemporary art works in several mediums which deal with temporality, with the politics of time, with time’s passage and its recollection.

Platform

HELEN DE MAIN: YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT

15 DEC-11 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Over the past year Helen has been meeting with a group of local women at Platform. Through looking at these women’s lives, marked by commonalities and difference, remarkable events and mundane ones, the exhibition celebrates the strength, resilience and beauty that exists within everyday experience.

Street Level Photoworks FUTUREPROOF 2017

15 DEC-4 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

The ninth annual showcase of new photographic talent selected from across Scotland’s Photography courses. Includes work from Yvette Bathgate, Sam Holland, Dosi Dimochovski, Katie Harris-MacLeod, Leanne Glass, Clare Hutchison, Gavin Bragdon, Gareth Bragdon and more.

The Lighthouse CHOZUMAKI

15 DEC-6 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Sonica Artist in Residence, Japan’s Nelo Akamatsu, presents this intricate installation of glass and water, which uses magnetic energy to produce a spiralling vortex of curious sounds. ILLUMINATING LETTERS

15 DEC-27 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition inspired by the relationship between Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret MacDonald, particularly his view that she was the creative force within their relationship, a revelation found documented in a private letter written by Mackintosh. LAST EDIT MADE SECONDS AGO

15 DEC-5 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Rachel McBrinn and Ben Callaghan collaborate on a moving image work, which interrogates the ways in which we interact with digital workspaces and content production technologies, seeking to critique the functionality and design of their user interface.

The Modern Institute ANNE COLLIER

15 DEC-13 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

The New York-based artist presents a new body of photographic works, including several from her recent series Women Crying, along with a new 35mm slide-projection piece Women With Cameras (Self Portrait).

Edinburgh Art &Gallery BOUND : UNBOUND

20 JAN-28 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition of artist books & wall pieces. Formerly known as the Artist Book Group, members of bound : unbound have been working and exhibiting together for ten years.

15 DEC-7 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition telling the story of collecting Scottish art by reuniting artworks from the Royal Scottish Academy collection transferred to NGS in 1910 with a selection of those remaining in the Academy collection and those collected by the Academy up to the present day.

Scottish National Gallery

15 DEC-13 MAY 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

15 DEC-25 MAR 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

HIDDEN GEMS

The City Art Centre showcases ‘unsung and unusual’ hidden gems from its collection of fine art. SONGS FOR WINTER

15 DEC-4 MAR 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

City Art Centre host an exhibition exploring the work of Charles Poulsen and Pauline Burbridge; artists for whom drawing is at the centre of their practice. A FINE LINE

15 DEC-18 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

A showcase in partnership with Inverness Museum and Art Gallery and Gracefield Arts Centre, featuring a diverse range of work by four contemporary artists based in Scotland – Lizzie Farey, Angie Lewin, Frances Priest and Bronwen Sleigh. Features printmaking, drawing, collage, sculpture and ceramics.

Dovecot Studios BUILT IN TAPESTRY: DOVECOT TAPESTRIES AND ARCHITECTURE

15 DEC-17 MAR 18, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

A balcony-based exhibition at Dovecot highlighting projects from the studio’s history, featuring innovative and bold projects from commissions new and past. DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE

15 DEC-22 JAN 18, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Dovecot tells a tale of women’s work in the textile industry and within textile art in a group exhibition of work from those who have contributed to the gallery’s history and present. Features Caroline Dear, Linder, Sonia Delaunay, Hanna Tuulikki and more. BEN HYMERS: MAGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS

15 DEC-17 MAR 18, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Now a fully instated member of the Dovecot weaving team, former Apprentice Weaver Ben Hymers charts his journey through a series of pieces completed during the apprenticeship.

Edinburgh Printmakers FROM PAPER TO GOLD

A MEETING OF TWO MASTERPIECES

Six-footer British masterpiece Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (1831) by John Constable, displayed alongside another celebrated landscape painting, William McTaggart’s The Storm (1890).

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 20TH CENTURY: MASTERPIECES OF SCOTTISH AND EUROPEAN ART 15 DEC-18 FEB 18, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition of works offering a historical overview of some of the most significant artistic contributions made during the last century. The exhibition also aims to place Scottish modern art within an international context. ARTIST ROOMS: MUSIC FROM THE BALCONIES - ED RUSCHA AND LOS ANGELES

15 DEC-29 APR 18, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A display highlighting the ways in which Ed Ruscha (b.1937, Nebraska, USA) draws upon urban landscape and architecture, cinema, brands, car culture and language that refer and relate to LA and Hollywood to create works about the American Dream.

PICTURE HOOKS

15 DEC-18 FEB 18, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Acclaimed exhibition Picture Hooks returns for its third year, showcasing the result of one year’s collaboration between five arts grads and their established illustrator mentors. A NEW ERA: SCOTTISH MODERN ART 1900-1950

Tramway

AMANDA ROSS-HO: UNTITLED PERIOD PIECE

15 DEC-4 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

An installation taking the form of a factory floor dedicated to the production of oversized garments, Ross-Ho’s surreal, theatrical environment subverts notions of time, labour and economy.

THE TRUEST MIRROR OF LIFE

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Part of Luminate 2017, this exhibition documents the experience and representation of childhood to coincide with Scotland’s Year of the Young Person 2018. Photographs from the permanent collection of the NGS are used to explore how the experience of childhood has changed over the years, and how the portrayal of children has shifted too.

ART AND ANALYSIS: TWO NETHERLANDISH PAINTERS WORKING IN JACOBEAN SCOTLAND

15 DEC-26 JAN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE

A small exhibition focusing on two 17th-century artists Adrian Vanson and Adam de Colone, showcasing a group of paintings which have been examined by paintings conservator Dr Caroline Rae, along with the findings from her research. IN FOCUS: THE EXECUTION OF CHARLES I

15 DEC-26 JAN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition centred around a painting of the execution of Charles I – based on eye-witness accounts and contemporary engravings – by an unknown Dutch artist. BP PORTRAIT AWARD 2017

16 DEC-11 MAR 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

CREW SCOTLAND: PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE

15 DEC-14 JAN 18, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Crew Scotland presents some of Scotland’s finest photographer’s personal projects including some never before seen works. The showcase also features fourteen of Crew’s up-and-coming assistant photographers.

Talbot Rice Gallery

JOHN AKOMFRAH: VERTIGO SEA

15 DEC-27 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Talbot Rice showcase Vertigo Sea and At The Graveside Of Tarkovsky, two installations by acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker John Akomfrah.

The Fruitmarket Gallery JACQUELINE DONACHIE

15 DEC-11 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Jacqueline Donachie presents sculpture, installation, photography, film and drawing in a major exhibition, engaging with ideas of support, platforms, and individual / familial / collective identity.

Cooper Gallery

HERE WAS ELSEWHERE: >>FFWD

20 JAN-17 FEB 18, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The exhibition of 27 artist moving image works made by 24 leading and up-and-coming artists, is staged in weekly rotations of selected works that capture the distinctive concerns driving contemporary artists’ moving image works made in Scotland.

DCA: Dundee Contemporary Arts

KATE V ROBERTSON: THIS MESS IS KEPT AFLOAT

15 DEC-25 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Glasgow-based artist Kat V Robertson’s first solo exhibition in a UK institution, presenting a major installation of new sculptural work. ANDREW LACON: FRAGMENTS

15 DEC-25 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Andrew Lacon’s first solo exhibition in a UK institution is based on a journey he made from Mexico City to Birmingham in 2015 and positions expansive ideas in a deceptively simple way.

The McManus

A SENSE OF PLACE: TWENTIETH CENTURY SCOTTISH PAINTING

15 DEC-7 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition representing the best in contemporary portrait painting, selected from 2,580 entries by artists from 87 countries around the world.

An exhibition of primarily landscape paintings, including work from the Glasgow Boys, the Scottish Colourists, James McIntosh Patrick and Joan Eardley.

Stills

15 DEC-4 FEB 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

FIRE AND STONE

15 DEC-28 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Using automated sculptures, video works and a cave, the artists examine absurdity within larger meta structures. The exhibition exposes anxiety, dark humour and intrigue within the breaks and fissures of technological and ritualistic structural systems.

19 JAN-11 FEB 18, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

15 DEC-15 APR 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Dundee Art

Summerhall

A second edition of the Scottish National Gallery’s dynamic exhibition series NOW, this time focussing on storytelling and showcasing the work of Turner Prize-winning artist Susan Philipsz, along with pieces by Michael Armitage, Yto Barrada, Kate Davis, Hiwa K and Sarah Rose.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

JESSY JETPACKS, WILLIAM DARRELL AND JAKE RUSSELL

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG: PHOTOGRAPHS OF CHILDHOOD

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. Group shows of editioned work from Calum Colvin, Holly Johnson, Jo McDonald and more.

NOW

Embassy Gallery

TONY SWAIN: WORKS OR EVERYONE

A re-examination of major Scottish figures which questions our habit of framing history around individuals and idols.

15 DEC-18 FEB 18, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The Irish-born, GSA graduating, artist – best known for his paintings depicting complex private worlds painted over newspaper pages – presents a new body of work at The Modern Institute.

15 DEC-20 JAN 18, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

To celebrate 50 years of printmaking excellence, Edinburgh Printmakers has invited 50 artists to participate in a special anniversary exhibition of exemplary Scottish printmaking.

INSPIRED EDITIONS I AND II 25 JAN-10 MAR 18, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

A solo exhibition at Stills dedicated to the work of Edinburghbased artist Robin Gillanders.

15 DEC-31 MAR 18, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

The Modern Institute @ Airds Lane

HEROES AND HEROINES 15 DEC-31 MAY 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A continuation of the NMS and British Museum’s Reflections on Celts spotlight tour, featuring a replica of the Monifieth II Pictish stone which has been commissioned from stone carver David McGovern.

15 DEC-10 JUN 18, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £8 - £10

A display of 19th century French caricatures showcasing work by some of its greatest exponents, including Honoré Daumier and Gavarni.

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AGES OF WONDER: SCOTLAND’S ART 1540 TO NOW

City Art Centre

15 DEC-21 JAN 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Royal Scottish Academy RSA

An alternative version of the history of modern Scottish art, featuring over 80 works by around 50 artists, including some of Scotland’s artistic giants and more unfamiliar artists.

SCOTS IN ITALY

15 DEC-5 MAR 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A showcase of the Scottish experience of Italy in the eighteenth century, a time when artistic, entrepreneurial and aristocratic fascination with the country was reaching boiling point. THE MODERN PORTRAIT

15 DEC-27 OCT 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A display collating paintings, sculptures and works from the Portrait Gallery’s twentiethcentury collection, ft. a variety of well-known faces, from Ramsay Macdonald to Alan Cumming, Tilda Swinton to Danny McGrain. REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION

ROBIN GILLANDERS (A RETROSPECTIVE)

15 DEC-14 JAN 18, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

THE GREAT WHITE HOPE

15 DEC-14 JAN 18, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

New works by Glasgow-based artist Jacob Kerray. DELICIOUS SOURCE

25 JAN-10 MAR 18, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. Delicious Source is a large-scale detailed monochrome mural, painted onto a wall in the Laboratory Gallery by Ciara Veronica Dunne. AS ITHERS SEE HIM

25 JAN-10 MAR 18, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. A group show of contemporary interpretations of Robert Burns’ appearance, featuring works by David Begbie, Rosie Dahlstrom and more.

THE VICTORIAN LANDSCAPE

This year’s Winter Works on Paper display features artists already represented in oil in the gallery, including John MacWhirter and William McTaggart, offering the chance to compare the effects achieved by artists in their use of different media. REVEALING CHARACTERS

27 JAN-31 DEC 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Part of a joint exhibition of selected works from the City’s permanent collection, Revealing Characters includes an array of portraits, which examine the construction of identity. FACE TO FACE

27 JAN-31 DEC 18, TIMES VARY, FREE

Part of a joint exhibition of selected works from the City’s permanent collection, Face to Face includes an array of portraits, which examine the construction of identity.

GANG DRY

25 JAN-10 MAR 18, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. An installation of objects, paintings, photographs and prints inspired by the life, time and works of Robert Burns by Derrick Guild. INSPIRED BY TAM O’SHANTER

25 JAN-10 MAR 18, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. Three installations inspired by Robert Burn’s epic poem Tam o’Shanter, by Ross Fleming, Laura Ford and Laura Graham.

15 DEC-1 APR 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition examining the cultural consequences of the national religion becoming Protestantism in sixteenth century Scotland.

THE SKINNY

Beauty & Balance Part Two In part two of our spotlight on jewellery design in Scotland we explore the work of six exceptional designers

he non-essential nature of jewellery is perhaps what makes it even more desirable to own. Other small luxuries such as knitwear or ceramics can be passed off as ‘practical,’ but when we buy jewellery we are making a statement about ourselves (or on behalf of a loved one) that can be quite thrilling. In Scotland, the strength and breadth of the contemporary jewellery field demonstrates both the commitment of our designers – and our buyers. Stacey Bentley’s work effortlessly moves between the gallery and everyday wear. “Each piece of jewellery originates from a photograph, drawing, or memory of a place I’ve travelled to. It may be an angle from a temple in Japan, a colour from a beach house in Los Angeles, or the shape of a stained glass window in Egypt. I often look to ancient African and Asian jewellery techniques to find alternative ways of connecting individual elements that make up each piece of jewellery.” Her Edinburgh workshop was just featured on Channel 4’s TV show Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas where the designer was filmed creating her distinctive, refined jewellery using vitreous enamel, oxidised silver and gold leaf. Tom Pigeon make jewellery that you can confidently buy for a graphic designer and know they’ll be delighted. This design studio – based on the east coast of Fife – also work across print, textiles and homewares, selling to galleries and design stores around the world. The studio has grown in recent years to embrace a more multi-disciplinary approach – jewellery colours and shapes are reinterpreted as flat graphic prints (and vice versa). Tom Pigeon’s jewellery is handcrafted inhouse by “a small but amazing team of jewellers who are all graduates of Duncan of Jordanstone,” and the studio have collaborated extensively to create exclusive collections for places like the Barbican, Tate Modern, the V&A, Whitechapel Gallery and Selfridges. Ruth Leslie is a recent graduate whose work incorporates movement and sound. She finely twists precious wire by hand – with wire wrapped around frames to create tactile, refined forms – “like dangling architecture.” Her delicately engineered kinetic pieces bring together refined finishes and playful sculptural forms. Mainly working

in metal, including silver, gold and titanium, the Edinburgh-based designer is inspired by unusual details such as the irregularities within fabrics and the structural forms found in textile machinery. Dundee-based Kirsten Manzi designs jewellery using a restrained palette of geometric shapes distilled from forms found in architectural structures. “Growing up with a paintbrush in my hand and an easel in the back garden I always knew I wanted to lead a creative life. However, my love of working in metal began at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee. I loved the process of making and getting lost in a design, I was fascinated with turning an idea into something tangible.” Glasgow-based Heather McDermott takes inspiration from the ever-changing shoreline and landscape of her native Skye. Her collections have titles like Tidal Surge and Drift, where objects discarded from the urban environment and deposited by the powerful sea swell are translated into precious jewellery. “Rope, wood and plastic forms take on a more subtle identity as the wind and waves shape and re-shape them.” Stainless steel and silver wire is hand formed by the designer into soft geometric shapes mimicking fishing nets and lobster pots while palettes draw on the icy colours of the Hebridean sea. Euan McWhirter creates high impact design shot through with glamour and has become the well-established choice for maximalists who think nothing of pairing a metallic Rowan Joy dress with a Karen Mabon silk scarf. Taking inspiration from strong female characters in history, mythology and pop culture, his pieces can be confections of romance and whimsy, as seen in his beautifully coloured crystal drop earrings, or laced with a trace of malice, as seen in his Lucky Bitches ring series. The Glasgow-based designer has created a brand that reflects his own unique vision of what luxury looks like and paired it with innovative techniques for making. If you want to get hands-on with jewellery design and making, The Vanilla Ink Jewellery School and Carve workshops are great places to begin.

Kirsten Manzi

vanillainkstudios.co.uk wearecarve.com

Ruth Leslie

Tom Pigeon

January 2018

Kirsten Manzi

Photo: Katariina Yli-Malmi

Words: Stacey Hunter

Euan McWhirter

Heather McDermott

Last Word

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